


The Power of Attraction

by baekhanjuseyo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: (just a little bit of it), Fantasy, M/M, gym buddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 09:38:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12230280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baekhanjuseyo/pseuds/baekhanjuseyo
Summary: Baekhyun is tired of being the only person he knows that hasn't figured out his power yet. He is also tired of being the only single member of his group of friends. To cure his boredom and work out some steam, he enrolls in a local gym. There he meets Bubble Gum Guy, with hot pink hair and a body to die for, that might be the solution to both of his problems...





	The Power of Attraction

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #198
> 
> Author's note:
> 
> To the prompter, I hope I did your prompt justice. I tried to stay close to your prompt but somehow got lost in the story. I hope you like this little piece of fiction I came up with and that if it isn't what you expected, you still find some enjoyment in it!  
> A major thank you to S. for beta-ing this work and telling me straight up where I lacked. You're the best beta in the whole wide world. A big thank you to H. whose sprints really pushed me to finish this and whose advice got me out of trouble more often than not. You're amazing and I'm glad to be able to call you my friend. Last but not least, to the mods, you're amazing! Thank you for your support and for organizing this fest!  
> Finally, thank you to you, readers, for giving this fic a chance and leaving a nice comment in the comment section! Also kudos are super appreciated. Thank you so much!

If someone were to ask, Baekhyun would say he lives a pretty normal life. He teaches in a small elementary school, still lives with his best friend Chanyeol in the small two-bedroom apartment they have had since college. He goes out with his friends every weekend, drinks too much and orders take-out too often for it to be healthy. He waits until he’s out of clear underwear before doing his laundry and doesn’t call his mother often enough. Yes, Baekhyun is sure he’s the stereotypical twenty-five-year-old, putting aside the fact that, one, he’s still single (and has been for the last three years as his friend Jongdae likes to remind him) and, two, he still doesn’t know what his power is.

 

It used to really bother him, back in college. When he packed his bags and moved from Bucheon to Seoul to attend one of the best music schools in the country, Baekhyun had been self-conscious about his lack of knowledge about his power. Usually, people figure it out in their teenage years, when puberty hits.

 

That’s when Jongdae discovered his. After a particularly hot wet dream, he rushed to the bathroom to take a much needed cold shower in hopes of calming down his boner before his mother understood why her son was making so many noises in his room. Turned out he didn’t even have to take a shower: just thinking about it made his boner disappear. Baekhyun is still slightly jealous of Jongdae’s power. How convenient is it to be able to turn off and on your boner? It certainly would’ve help Baekhyun dodge some… embarrassing situations.

 

Baekhyun had tried everything, from pretty simple stuff like heating pasta with his hands, to pretty reckless stuff like attempting to jump down from an eight feet tall tree to see if he could fly. That’s when Chanyeol begged him to put a stop to his quest.

 

“You’re gonna break your neck and die before you even make it to twenty,” Chanyeol used to say, propping a pillow under Baekhyun’s broken ankle.

 

Baekhyun used to only smile and nod. Looking back, he has no problem admitting that all of it had been stupid. It doesn’t really matter if he knows what his power is or not, right? He’s still the same funny and outgoing Baekhyun. And it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one, right?

 

“Right,” Chanyeol sighs, headphones halfway in his ears. “I mean, everyone is born with powers. I don’t think it would be any different with you.”

 

Baekhyun nods from his place on Chanyeol’s bed. He kicks his feet in the air, trying to grab his ankles and force his feet to land behind his head. It doesn’t work as well as in the yoga class he watched this morning on TV and he ends up stuck with his feet hovering about thirty centimeters off the bed and his crotch way too close to his face to be comfortable.

 

“I thought you were over this whole power crisis anyway?” Chanyeol asks, wheeling back to face his computer, Pro Tools open before him.

 

Baekhyun remembers when Chanyeol first bought the music production software. They spent three weeks eating _ramyeon_ after that because Chanyeol used his part of rent to purchase it. It was a “necessary step” towards his career he had said at the time. Baekhyun supposes he was right, seeing as he is now working on his third composition for a small independent label.

 

“I am, okay?”, Baekhyun whines, finally giving up on the yoga for now. His back hurts like a bitch, he might have strained something. “The coffee shop across the school just hired a new barista and…”

 

“Let me guess, he can heat up coffee with his hands and it made you wonder if you could do the same?”

 

Chanyeol doesn’t even bother to turn around to answer him and it irks Baekhyun. He hates when his best friend does that, takes music more seriously than him. They’re supposed to have their Wednesday _ramyeon_ -Gossip-Girl date night, not compose or… whatever Chanyeol’s doing.

 

For the record though, Chanyeol is right. His barista can heat up coffee and tea with his hands. Baekhyun was pretty impressed this morning when his usual ten minutes coffee shop run only took three thanks to the new guy. But Baekhyun knows he can’t do that (he tried, alone in the break room after third period.)

 

“Forget I said anything,” Baekhyun sighs. “I’ll keep my interesting stories for someone that can appreciate them.” Chanyeol snorts at that and Baekhyun makes a face that his best friend can’t see because he still isn’t looking at him.

 

“Are you gonna make me wait any longer? I’m missing Nate’s cute little face,” Baekhyun sasses.

 

Finally, Chanyeol turns around, letting his headphones fall from his ears. His face is pinched in a guilty expression and Baekhyun knows where it’s going.

 

“I really need to finish that, Baek,” Chanyeol says, voice low with guilt. “It’s due next week and I promised Sunyoung I would bring her to see the cherry blossom this weekend.”

 

Sure, Sunyoung. Chanyeol’s girlfriend. A sweet little thing, if Baekhyun is honest with himself, even if he does find her slightly too young for his best friend. But that might just be his envy speaking. It’s honestly hard being the only single one in his group of friends. Nobody has time for him anymore.

 

“Oh, okay, sure,” Baekhyun mutters, jumping to his feet. He dismisses Chanyeol’s apologies by a small movement of the wrist. It’s not Chanyeol’s fault he has a girlfriend and wants to spend time with her. Baekhyun’s just being dramatic, that’s all.

 

Once alone in the living room, Baekhyun flips through the channels in search of a good drama to watch, something to alleviate the loneliness he feels in his bones. There’s nothing on except a romcom that will only make him more miserable so he turns the TV off. He contemplates napping for a while, but it’s barely past seven pm. If he goes to sleep right now, he’ll be up at four am, which will only make him cranky and on edge. Baekhyun needs to be in his best mood if he wants to have a chance to live through a day with elementary school children. He loves them with all his heart but even he can admit that they’re a handful.

 

His gaze falls on Chanyeol’s sport bag in the hallway. Baekhyun could go to the gym. He has a membership for the local gym, has had one since he moved here in college. Chanyeol and him used to go together all the time, to try to lessen the stress of exams and the pressure of grades. Once they graduated though, Baekhyun slowly stopped going, until his once hard and cut abs melted in what he affectionately calls his Nutella abs. Maybe he could pick it up again, since all his friends are dead set on abandoning him to have sex in weird public places.

 

Baekhyun doesn’t even take the time to warn Chanyeol about his plan before he jams his feet in the nice sport sneakers he recently bought for no real reason. It’s not like Chanyeol will even notice his absence, he’ll probably only leave his room to pee. The air is still cold in the evening, with spring not fully installed yet. Baekhyun throws on one of his favorite Supreme hoodies and makes the small commute to the gym in less than fifteen minutes. He arrives pretty winded.

 

“I must need the exercise more than I thought” Baekhyun mutters under his breath as he shrugs his hoodie and his other things in one of the lockers.

 

As Baekhyun expected, the gym is pretty full with business men stopping to exercise before going home to their wives. He can hear them chat loudly as they lift weights, about the last Doosan Bears’ game, about the last attempt of the North to launch a missile, about girl groups’ members’ boobs. Suddenly, Baekhyun remembers why he always preferred to work out in the morning.

 

Baekhyun heads to the treadmills where one girl is running with her earphones on. Even if it’s been a while since he worked out, Baekhyun more or less remembers his old routine and decides to stick with it. He can always tweak it a bit if he’s not in shape enough.

 

Turns out he’ll have to make significant changes after he struggles through fifteen minutes of jogging. From the corner of his eyes, Baekhyun can see the girl hiding her laugh behind her palms and he scowls at her. He wipes the sweat out of his eyes, trying to get his breath back to normal as he walks to the mats. He figures some traditional exercises shouldn’t be as hard as cardio.

 

Of course, he’s wrong, completely and utterly wrong. Baekhyun powers through twenty push-ups and thirty sit-ups before slumping on the floor in defeat. He hates working out alone, can’t find the drive to push himself to the max without anyone to compete with. When he used to come with Chanyeol, it had been easy to really work out and gain muscle mass, with his best friend breathing down his neck and taunting him whenever he looked close to giving up. Now that he’s alone with his thoughts, Baekhyun kind of wants to go home and eat pizza and gain probably fifty pounds.

 

“Mind scouting over a bit?” someone asks from above him but Baekhyun can’t gather the strength to lift his head and see who’s talking to him. He only sighs dramatically, face still planted in the mats. Baekhyun doesn’t want to think about how unhygienic the whole set up is. He can feel the pimples forming on his face.

 

Two hands grab his shoulders and unceremoniously roll him out of the way. Baekhyun tumbles and lands straight on his stomach again. He groans at the impact and finally manages to look up.

 

The man looks like a boy on steroid. He has cotton candy hair kept away from his face by a hair tie. His face is young and delicate, small eyes, thin lips, but his body is all hard lines and firm muscles. His biceps are bulging as the man positions himself to do push-ups and Baekhyun can see the faint outline of his abs through his sweat-soaked shirt. Baekhyun’s mouth is suddenly very dry.

 

“Can I help you with anything?” the man asks, wiping the sweat above his eyebrows with the back of his hand. Baekhyun swoons internally: that man can support his own weight with only one hand.

 

“It’s not kind to push people like that.” Baekhyun blushes as he realizes how freaking childish he must sounds. First he stares at him like a creep and then he whines like a five year-old. The man laughs and finally stops flexing his muscles right in front of Baekhyun’s eyes.

 

“You were taking at least three places,” he explains as he takes a sip of water. “The gym is pretty crowded tonight. You can’t use all the space to lounge around.”

 

“I wasn’t lounging around!” Baekhyun exclaims in offense. “I was just… trying not to die.”

 

That makes the man laugh again and Baekhyun smiles. His laugh reminds him of one of his kids back at the school: loud and full-bodied and kind of mesmerizing. Baekhyun starts being aware of how dangerous his thought process is becoming when he’s thinking about how he wouldn’t mind hearing that laugh every day for the rest of his life. He has always been a sucker for men who can manhandle him. The cuteness is a welcomed bonus.

 

“Not a regular at working out?” the man asks with a sly smirk. Baekhyun shakes his head in denial. “It’s okay, everyone has to start somewhere.”

 

For a couple of minutes, no one says anything. The man goes back to working out, from sit-ups to lunges to squats, and Baekhyun goes back to creepily staring at him. He has half the mind to be embarrassed about it but those _thighs_. That _ass_. He’ll probably never see the man again because there’s no way he’s working out ever in his lifetime. He’ll just become fat and die of diabetes.

 

“I’ll see you around,” the man says as he gathers his stuff. He smiles and waves a peace sign at Baekhyun and Baekhyun can’t help but blush. He watches him go and, when the man disappears of his line of sight, lets himself fall on his back.

 

“Fuck,” Baekhyun mutters. He stays unmoving for a while, until someone else coughs and asks for space. Baekhyun gives up on working out for tonight, bowing in apologies to the same girl who laughed at him on the treadmill. She doesn’t even look at him, already in a crouch position. Baekhyun sighs. What’s up with all these people being so serious about exercising?

 

In the shower, later that night, when he’s sure Chanyeol can’t hear him, Baekhyun fists his cock at a rapid pace. He comes with images of pink hair and thick thighs on his mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 “I swear I’ve never seen someone so hot in my entire life,” Baekhyun practically moans around a mouthful of _jajangmyeon_.

 

“And you didn’t even ask for his name. That’s why you’re single, loser.” Jongdae retorts, prompting Chanyeol to laugh so hard he spits a bite of chewed _tteok_ on the table in front of him.

 

“You’re disgusting, Yeol” Baekhyun says. “Honestly, I couldn’t even think straight. I was mesmerized. That ass…”

 

“I really don’t want to hear it,” Jongdae cuts in. Chanyeol laughs again as he waves the waitress over to order more _banchan_.

 

They’re at their weekly diner date, something they’ve begun to do after Jongdae dropped out of college to train under one of the biggest entertainment companies of the country. Baekhyun is secretly glad Jongdae didn’t make it in an idol group and settled for OSTs and collaborations. It allows them to hang around town without being followed by hordes of teenage girls screaming and pushing cameras in their faces.

 

“Anyhow, I think you should man up and introduce yourself,” Chanyeol advices. “You haven’t showed interest in anyone for so long that it’s worth taking the chance.”

 

“Maybe you’ll finally get laid,” Jongdae sneers.

 

They both laugh at the joke and Baekhyun seriously considers, not for the first time today, getting new friends. Friends that aren’t mean to him for no reason. The conversation subtly shifts from Baekhyun’s embarrassing gym experience to Chanyeol’s embarrassing cherry blossom date and Baekhyun can’t let the opportunity to poke fun at his best friend pass by.

 

“How could I know she was allergic to cherry blossom?” Chanyeol whines. “She didn’t say anything about it when I mentioned going to see them!”

 

“She probably didn’t know,” Jongdae supplies. “She grew up in the States after all.”

 

“Still, I’d rather be single and germ-free than being covered in my boyfriend’s snot,” Baekhyun affirms.

 

They get up to pay and the waitress comes to clean their table. Baekhyun stares as she gathers all their dishes in one hand and goes back to the kitchen without dropping any of them. Jongdae, who followed his line of sight, clasps his hand on his shoulder.

 

“No luck yet?” Baekhyun shakes his head. “Don’t worry. One day you’ll stop thinking about it and it’ll fall on your lap.”

 

Baekhyun shrugs, not entirely convinced, but still appreciative of the effort. Jongdae might be an asshole most of the time, he still has a heart and cares about his friends. Maybe Baekhyun can think of keeping Jongdae a little bit longer. Chanyeol, well, that’s another story.

 

 

 

 

 

After that diner, Baekhyun’s friends don’t let him breathe until he promises to go back to the gym to talk to Bubble Gum Guy, as they nicknamed him. They even manage to enroll Baekhyun’s students in their plan. Every morning, before classes start, one or two or ten of them will ask Baekhyun about the gym, about his work out plan.

 

“You look a bit healthier, Mr. Byun,” little Jinah tells him on Monday. “Is it because you’re working out?”

 

“Mr. Byun, if you went to work out, you could play with us longer during recess,” Seokjin complains on Tuesday, eyes full of mischief.

 

It becomes so bad that Baekhyun has no choice but to admit defeat. That’s why he’s standing in front of the gym’s door exactly one week after his first time in the establishment. Chanyeol smirked when Baekhyun told him he was heading there, prompting Baekhyun to hit him hard on the back of the head.

 

A quick look around the room is enough to notice that there’s no one with pink hair working out. Baekhyun doesn’t admit that he’s a bit disappointed. He heads to the treadmill again, where the same girl from last week is running. She nods her head when she sees him and he smiles, bashful. This time, Baekhyun makes it a little longer before being completely out of breath and he savours the small victory by pouring the remainder of his bottle on his head. He shakes his head like a dog to get most of the water out of his hair.

 

“I wasn’t planning to take a shower so soon,” someone says to Baekhyun’s left. Baekhyun looks up to see Bubble Gum Guy smiling at him, although the nickname might be outdated since the man dyed his hair a beautiful shade of lavender. It compliments his complexion really well and Baekhyun can feel his heartbeat picking up.

 

“I’m so sorry,” Baekhyun stutters, cheeks aflame with shame. It’s just his luck, to embarrass himself in front of his crush like that. “I didn’t see you standing there.”

 

Ex-Bubble Gum Guy shakes his head to dismiss the apology. His face is glistening with sweat and water, droplets clinging to the sharp line of his jaw. Baekhyun is vaguely aware that he’s staring but he can’t stop. He can almost see himself licking them, sucking a purple mark on the underside of the man’s jawline. It would look so pretty with his purple hair…

 

“I’m glad you came back,” Ex-Bubble Gum Guy says, bringing Baekhyun’s attention back on his words and not on his lips. “I was afraid you’d give up after your last visit.”

 

Baekhyun laughs, stepping down from the treadmill. He can feel his calves burning and his knees buckle under his weight once his feet reach the floor. Ex-Bubble Gum Guy stabilizes him by the shoulders until Baekhyun feels like he can stand up on his own. A small snicker escapes the girl’s mouth and Baekyun dips his head in embarrassment. He waves at her before making his way towards the mats at the back of the room, Ex-Bubble Gum Guy hot on his heels.

 

“I almost did. Give up I mean,” Baekhyun explains, slowly lowering himself down on the mats. He sits down, stretching his legs as far as they’ll go to try to regain a good blood circulation in them. He groans at the pain wracking his left calf. “But then my friends wouldn’t leave me alone until I came so, here I am.”

 

Ex-Bubble Gum Guy laughs as he positions himself on his back besides Baekhyun. He starts doing sits-up quickly, prompting Baekhyun to follow with a small movement of his head. Baekhyun does, thinking that maybe a bit of abs work out will lessen the pain he feels in his legs. He follows the rhythm set by Ex-Bubble Gum Guy for a brief moment, panting hard and groaning at every pull before gradually slowing down until he flops on his back and doesn’t move.

 

“You’re not used to work out at all,” Ex-Bubble Gum Guy says, with no question and no judgement in his voice. He doesn’t even sound out of breath after what must be at his sixtieth or seventieth sit-up. Baekhyun only shakes his head to agree with the statement, still desperately searching his breath. “It’s okay, I’ll help you get to a decent level.”

 

Baekhyun’s first reaction is to ask why and try to convince him that he doesn’t need help. But he keeps his mouth shut. His pride might tell him to turn down the offer but his heart (and his dick) is jumping at the opportunity to have an extremely attractive man spend time with him. Turning his head to the side, Baekhyun can see that Ex-Bubble Gum Guy is propped on his elbow and looking down at him with a small smirk, eyes full of mirth. It brings the blush back to Baekhyun’s cheeks.

 

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Baekhyun says only because he doesn’t want to seem so eager to accept the offer. Ex-Bubble Gum Guy is super casual about the whole thing and it would only make Baekhyun look like an overly excited puppy.

 

“Oh no! I love sharing my passion for training,” Ex-Bubble Gum Guy reassures him with a smile. Whenever he does, his gums show and it’s the most adorable thing Baekhyun has ever seen. “Anyway, working out alone can become a bit boring at times. I’d love to have some company.”

 

Without any other objection in mind (not that he’s actively searching for one), Baekhyun has no other choice but to accept Ex-Bubble Gum Guy’s offer. He can feel the butterflies in his stomach flying away rapidly, almost covering the pain in his legs. He has clearly overdone it on the treadmill.

 

“My name’s Minseok, by the way,” Ex-Bubble Gum Guy says, wiping his hand on his skin-tight tank top before handing it to Baekhyun for a shake.

 

“Baekhyun,” he says simply. Minseok’s grip on his fingers is powerful but not in crushing way. In a gentle force way. His hand is rough, probably from lifting weights a lot. His skin is hot to the touch and Baekhyun can feel the warmth spreading from their joint hands to his arm and chest. When he looks down, he sees nothing indicating a power is being used on him.

 

“I don’t think we should start your training today, though,” Minseok affirms, still with a gentle smile on his face. “You’re clearly in pain and it wouldn’t help you to push your muscles way past their limits.”

 

Baekhyun bites his lips sheepishly. He knows he fucked up on the treadmill, but he’s never really liked when his mistakes are put in the spotlight this way. What Minseok is saying makes a lot of sense, though, and Baekhyun resigns himself to listen to him. The cramps aren’t as strong as they were when he first sat down, but he’s still wary to stand up.

 

“I was feeling pretty well for the most part of my run,” Baekhyun explains, shrugging his shoulders. “But then when I stopped running, it just hurt.”

 

“Did you eat before coming here?” Minseok asks. He’s doing one-handed push-ups now, biceps flexing under the effort. It makes Baekhyun’s throat dry and he coughs to hide the small moan that escaped his lips when Minseok lowered himself almost to the ground, giving Baekhyun a perfect view of his perky butt.

 

Baekhyun shakes his head. He rushed to the gym straight after his last student’s parents came to pick him up. He figured that if he stopped somewhere to eat or if he went back to the apartment, he’d never have the strength to get up again and go work out. That’s what children do to you; they suck all your energy and leave you completely empty.

 

“That’s not good,” Minseok tuts, shaking his head in disappointment. “No wonder you’re having cramps. You need to make sure your body is full of energy and nutriments to support your exercises or you’ll be doing more wrong then right.”

 

Minseok stands up, indicating to Baekhyun to stay where he is. Baekhyun nods to show he understands but, either way, he doesn’t think he’d be able to walk. His calf is acting up again, shaking against the ground. If Minseok wasn’t so bloody attractive, this pain would be a deal breaker for sure.

 

Fortunately, Baekhyun doesn’t have to wait a long time for Minseok to come back to him, carrying a bottle of blue Gatorade, a banana and some ice. Baekhyun takes them with a grateful smile. He clearly needs the electrolytes and the potassium.

 

“So your friends are bullying you into working out?” Minseok prompts Baekhyun as he takes place besides him. A part of Baekhyun feels bad for forcing a practically stranger to give up his routine to tend to his injuries but at the same time, he doesn’t want Minseok to leave.

 

‘They’re more bullying me into doing something other than work. Also, my roommate probably wants me out of the house so he can bring his girlfriend over,” Baekhyun grumbles. Minseok laughs at that, reaching over to adjust the icepack on Baekhyun’s calf.

 

“And you decided to hit the gym,” Minseok says. It isn’t phrased like a question but the curiosity is clear in Minseok’s voice. It makes Baekhyun’s heart beat a tad faster.

 

“As you can see, I clearly need to get in shape.” Minseok’s laughter resonates in the gym, prompting a few people to look in their direction. Baekhyun bows his head in apology with a sheepish smile on his face. “What’s the reason behind your presence here?” Baekhyun asks.

 

“Actually, I work here,” Minseok answers with a sly smile. “Got into exercising in high school after some… incidents, studied human biology in college and here I am. Certified personal trainer.”

 

Baekhyun’s first thought is that he might have to pay Minseok for his services. After all, maybe he’s been working all this time and can’t let someone get hurt on his shift. Maybe he doesn’t really care about Baekhyun’s health. When he mentions all of this to Minseok, the latter just laughs at him.

 

“My classes are in the morning,” Minseok explains. “I’m here on my own time. I don’t get to work out as hard as I want when I teach so I come in the evening to really train my muscles. This body needs work.” He punches the words by flexing his arms, showcasing his bulging biceps and veiny forearms. Baekhyun can feel his cheeks heating up.

 

Baekhyun nods. It makes sense that Minseok would like to work out on his own, even if Baekhyun wouldn’t be caught dead in his work place after his schedule is done. He shakes his legs to dislodge the melted ice bag. He doesn’t feel pain anymore, only exhaustion.

 

“I guess I’ll call it a night,” Baekhyun says as he gathers his stuff. Minseok helps him to get on his feet, and, after making him promise to come back next Wednesday for his first lesson, lets Baekhyun go. Baekhyun thanks him and hurries out of the gym, heart palpating in his chest.

 

Can he consider this _rendez-vous_ a date?

 

 

 

 

 

“I don’t think it counts as a date,” Chanyeol says, strumming on his guitar. He scribbles something on the music sheet in front of him before playing the same four notes again. Baekhyun is about to lose his mind and fling his red pen at his face.

 

“Why not?” Baekhyun doesn’t look up from the assignments he’s grading (name the color illustrated on the sheet and name an object of that color). He can’t believe most of his students don’t know how to spell purple. “He invited me back to the gym where we’ll spend some quality time together. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be considered a date.”

 

“Maybe because it’s his job to make sure you don’t die on the gym’s ground? He probably just pities you because you can’t do twenty minutes of treadmill without losing control of your legs.”

 

Baekhyun has to agree with Chanyeol and if he were completely honest with himself, he’d admit that those thoughts have crossed his mind. In fact, Baekhyun’s been thinking about the invitation ever since he came back from the gym that faithful Wednesday. Minseok had been sweet and patient and clearly enjoyed Baekhyun’s presence if his laughter is any indications. He also hadn’t shown interest for anybody else during Baekhyun’s time at the gym. But does that really mean that he’s interested in flirting?

 

Baekhyun says yes. Chanyeol clearly disagrees.

 

“Just ask him out for real when you go back,” Chanyeol suggests, pausing in his song writing to help Baekhyun gather his supplies. “It’ll set you straight. I mean gay. Gay-straight.”

 

Baekhyun whacks Chanyeol behind the head as he trudges back to his room.

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun doesn’t know why he bothered to make an effort with his appearance. He woke up earlier than usual this morning to comb his hair back and pack it with enough gel to last the whole day, even with his kids jumping on him and driving him crazy. He also stopped by an athletic shop to buy new sports gear. The shorts he bought are uncomfortably short and tight but they accentuate his thighs. Baekhyun thought about imitating Minseok and going for a skin-tight shirt, but he’d rather hide the belly he’s sporting. He even went to the extent to dab a small coat of BB cream on his face. He has been uncomfortable all day, heart beating heretically in his chest, palms moist and slightly shaking. Baekhyun has been a mess, but at least he looked good and that kept him afloat while his date with Minseok was approaching.

 

Now, he feels and looks like a mess.

 

Baekhyun doesn’t know what he expected for his date with Minseok. Maybe Minseok reaching over his body to help him lift weights, chest to back. Or Minseok touching his chest, describing how his pectorals would form and how his abs would start to show. Something sensual and fun, with light exercises and a lot of laugher. Instead, he’s been hit with a whole lot of hell.

 

Minseok clearly doesn’t think this is a date. Or if he does, he has a funny way of showing it. When Baekhyun first gets in the gym, water bottle in hands, Minseok pounces on him like a predator on its prey. He practically hoards him up on the stationary bike and, taking the one besides Baekhyun, leads them during a thirty minutes warm up. Baekhyun’s legs are left burning up after that and he almost begs Minseok to give him a break but he doesn’t want to appear weak. Maybe he should’ve.

 

They’re now in the second sets of thirty chin-ups. Well, more like wannabe chin-ups since Baekhyun can barely get his elbows at ninety degrees. Baekhyun is panting like a dog left outside during summer heat. His hair is matted to his forehead with sweat and he’s pretty sure his makeup just melted off his face.

 

“Get those elbows straight!” Minseok yells in Baekhyun’s ear. Baekhyun grunts and tries to do just that. He’s shaking like a leaf with the effort. “Good! Take two minutes to relax and we’ll hit the abs part of the work out.”

 

Baekhyun all but flops down on the floor. He’s so thirsty he could drink the entire Pacific Ocean, fishes and all, but he doesn’t have the energy to _move_. All of his muscles are jelly, totally useless. He just stays there, lying on the floor, face stuffed full of sweat-infused mats.

 

“Here,” Minseok pulls Baekhyun from his self-pity party, handing him a bottle of Gatorade. Baekhyun smiles and downs half of it in one go. “How are you holding up? I’m not being too hard on you, right?”

 

“Oh no, I’m perfectly fine!” Baekhyun is stupid. Baekhyun is stupid and prideful and his mouth always talks before his mind can make up what he wants to say. He watches as Minseok’s incredulous expression morphs into an amused smile and he can’t help but wonder if he just signed his death sentence.

 

He kind of did, he realizes later when Minseok sits on his back while he’s doing push-ups. Baekhyun just survived a grueling thirty minutes of abs exercises, going from the easy sits-up to the impossible single-side bird dog. He’s beyond exhausted, his stomach is tied in knots. He can’t handle Minseok’s perfect ass sitting right on the small of his back. He certainly cannot handle Minseok’s weight on his shaking arms.

 

Baekhyun crashes on the floor with a humph. Minseok laughs, disembarking from Baekhyun to plop down beside him. He runs a hand up and down Baekhyun’s back, soothing the trembling muscles. Baekhyun can’t help the sigh that falls out of his lips.

 

“You’ve done great, Baekhyun,” Minseok says, smile evident in his voice. “I think we can forget the rest of the routine for now.”

  
“There’s supposed to be more?” Baekhyun exclaims, head turning to stare at Minseok. The disbelief must be evident on his face because Minseok’s laughter fills his ears. It almost erases all of Baekhyun’s exhaustion and he finds himself smiling in return.

 

“You could’ve said something if it was too much for you,” Minseok nudges him, eyes kind and knowing. It makes Baekhyun flush. He knew he wasn’t exactly subtle with his struggles but he wished Minseok wouldn’t have called him out on it. “It’s better to be truthful in a trainer-client relationship.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun apologizes, bowing his head down. Minseok ruffles his hair, which Baekhyun would’ve protested against because he’s not a child, he’s twenty-five for god’s sake, but coming from Minseok, it’s oddly endearing. He’s so whipped.

 

They agree to call it a night. After all, it’s already half past eight in the evening. They’ve been working out for more than two hours now. No wonder Baekhyun is as beaten as he is.

 

“I’m gonna take a shower before leaving so I’ll see you next week?” Minseok calls out as he closes his locker, towel thrown over his shoulders. Before Baekhyun even has time to respond, he waves and makes his way to the showers at the end of the locker room. Baekhyun watches him leave, admiring the way his ass bounces as he walks.

 

“Fuck!”, Baekhyun murmurs, jamming his running shoes and his water bottle in his bag. He didn’t even get to ask Minseok out or, at least, to get his phone number. He sighs and lets his forehead hit the locker with a loud sound. He groans and hopes he won’t have a mark later.

 

When he reaches to close his bag, Baekhyun notices a small piece of paper lying on his clothes.

 

“Sorry I ruined your look. For what it’s worth, I think you looked really good.

  * Minseok”



 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes, there are anomalies with the powers. Those anomalies aren’t concerning or dangerous. In fact, they are totally harmless. Baekhyun knows about them, and knows how to react to them. Everyone whose work involves children has to take a class about power discovery during childhood and learn from a psychologist how to guide a child through it. In theory, Baekhyun is fully equipped to handle Jinah’s sudden power discovery.

 

In practice, he’s totally panicking.

 

It happens during recess. Baekhyun, being the good teacher he prides himself to be, bought all kinds of balls for his kids to play. Soccer balls, footballs, baseballs, you name it. The kids have been playing touch football when Jinah, after a big run, catches the ball. She runs like the wind to the touchdown area to score. Half of Baekhyun’s kids scream in victory while the other half grumble in their corner. Baekhyun claps politely and urges the kids to take their position to continue the game. Except Jinah doesn’t let go of the ball.

 

“You need to, Jinah,” Baekhyun says gently. “If you don’t let the ball go, our friends won’t be able to play and we don’t want our friends to be sad, don’t we?”

 

“But I can’t, Mr. Byun!” she exclaims with panic clear in her voice. “It’s stuck in my hands!”

 

Voicing it out loud seems to unleash something in her and Jinah starts to cry in earnest. The other kids stop playing around and get closer to see what’s going on. Baekhyun doesn’t want them to worry for their friend or start asking questions so he does the only thing he can think of at the moment:

 

“I’m going to buy ice cream to everyone that will go play with the forth years,” he screams rather loudly. For a brief second, nobody moves and Baekhyun, holding his breath, just prays. Then, all sounds come back as his class run to the back of the school yard.

 

“I want ice cream too,” Jinah whines, tears still audible in her voice. Baekhyun pats her head as he steers her away from the yard and back into the school. He remembers the first step to the power discovery program he studied back in university: get the child somewhere comfortable and familiar.

 

Baekhyun sits Jinah at her desk. She decorated it with flowers and sunshine in the beginning of the school year and Baekhyun always thought it fitted her well. Today, though, with her hands still full of football and her cheeks wet with tears, she looks more like a summer storm.

 

“What’s happening, Mr. Byun? I’m scared,” Jinah murmurs, voice so light Baekhyun almost doesn’t hear her. It’s so unlike herself, usually always so loud and funny. Baekhyun feels his heart squeeze in his chest.

 

“You know about the powers, don’t you, Jinah?” Jinah nods her head in acknowledgement. Baekhyun takes a breath. The program says to ease the subject slowly, letting the child make their own conclusions and correct them if needed. But how does he even breech the subject?

 

“Is that what’s happening? That’s my power?” Bless Jinah and her superior sense of logic. Baekhyun has always thought she was way smarter than her age suggests. In fact, he believed her intuition towards the right reasoning had been linked to her power. He had been wrong.

 

“Yes. You’re really smart, Jinah,” Baekhyun smiles, reaching to wipe away a stray tear from her cheek. Jinah already looks calmer, now that the mystery regarding what’s happening to her has lifted. “Your power is to never drop a football. And maybe any ball. I don’t really know. You’ll have to experiment with it to see the full extend.”

 

“But why can’t I let it go?” Jinah asks, frowing. She’s looking down at her hands now, as if offended that the football is still there. It makes Baekhyun chuckle, which immediately brings a smile to her small face.

 

“Try to actively think about letting the ball go,” Baekhyun suggests, grabbing her hands. “Tell the ball that it’s okay now, it can go on its own way.”

 

“Go away!” Jinah screams at the ball and, like magic, the ball falls from her hands on the floor. Jinah lets out a yell of joy, jumping off of her chair to hug Baekhyun. Her small arms wrap themselves around his shoulders and he squeezes back with affection.

 

“You’re the best, Mr. Byun!”, Jinah sighs in Baekhyun’s ears and he smiles, pushing her away to retie her pigtail. She swings her leg back and forth while he does that, smile still plastered on her face.

 

“Am I the only one with a power in the class?” she asks a little later, when they’re walking hand in hand towards the school yard. She doesn’t look in distress about that fact, merely curious and Baekhyun sees nothing bad in telling her a little more information.

 

“Everybody has powers, but most only discover them when they’re in high school,” Baekhyun explains gently. “So all your friends have power, you’re not the only one. They just don’t know it yet.”

 

“And you, Mr. Byun, when did you find yours?” Jinah’s eyes are full of curiosity and, rationally, Baekhyun knows she doesn’t mean anything bad with the questions. She just discovered hers and wants to know everything about it. It’s totally normal. Still, it hits a little too close to home.

 

“Jinah, why don’t you go play some more before the end of recess, hum?” Baekhyun suggests with a small smile. He can tell Jinah knows what he’s trying to do and he half-expects her to call him out on it, demanding answers. However, Jinah nods, sends him an encouraging smile and takes off running towards her friends. Baekhyun heaves a grateful sigh.

 

He doesn’t like admitting his power’s condition. Baekhyun knows how unusual it is for him to not know anything about his power. With adults, when the subjects come up and he can’t avoid it, the conversation is short. They have the tact to not ask to many questions. But with Jinah, he wouldn’t know how to explain.

 

Fortunately, the subject of powers doesn’t come up during the rest of the day. From what he’s gathered listening to his kids during class, Jinah explained everything to everyone already. By noon, Jinah’s discovery is already old news. Sometimes, Baekhyun envies the insouciance of children.

 

The subject doesn’t leave Baekhyun’s mind though. It weighs on his shoulders and, even if he considers that he did great in handling the situation, he still can’t help but wonder if someone else would’ve been more qualified to help Jinah. Someone who knows what they’re talking about.

 

Baekhyun’s turmoil must show on his face because when he enters the kitchen to grab a glass of water, back at the apartment, Chanyeol immediately stops chopping whatever he’s been cutting and sits him down at the kitchen island. He hands Baekhyun a slice of watermelon before going back to his cooking.

 

“What happened today?” Chanyeol finally asks after a couple of minute of silence. Baekhyun lifts his head from his plate of watermelon (because seriously, who eats only one slice of watermelon?). Chanyeol looks worried, lower lip caught between his teeth.

 

Baekhyun recalls Jinah’s incident to his friend, straying away from making it too personal. Chanyeol makes a small sound of understanding, back turned to Baekhyun to stir the _jjigae_ he’s cooking. Baekhyun is glad that Chanyeol, after all this time together as friends, knows enough to read between the lines and understand what Baekhyun doesn’t dare to say.

 

“As her teacher, you’re someone she trusts, Baek,” Chanyeol says gently, voice reassuring. “She clearly couldn’t have had someone better to break the news to her.”

 

“She asked me about mine,” Baekhyun murmurs at last. That’s the centre of the trouble. “I didn’t know what to tell her so I said nothing.”

 

Chanyeol doesn’t say anything. For a while, the silence spreads over the kitchen, but it’s not uncomfortable. Even if, between them two, silence is a rare occurrence, they’ve learned to appreciate its qualities. Baekhyun gets up to grab silverwares and _banchan_ , quietly setting the table up. Chanyeol scoops out two large bowls of _jjigae_ before pulling a bottle of _soju_ from the fridge. Baekhyun shoots him a grateful smile.

 

The _jjigae_ is delicious, as per usual. Chanyeol, even if he looks like a college student with absolutely no knowledge of adulting, is a really talented cook. Baekhyun gets progressively drunker as the meal goes on. He has a shitty alcohol tolerance and with today’s emotions, it takes about half a bottle before he’s really opening up.

 

“Do you think I’m a failure?” Baekhyun slurs, face squished on the table. He doesn’t wait for Chanyeol’s answer. “Even a six years old knows what her power is. And when she asked me…”

 

Baekhyun takes a big breath. He still sees Jinah’s eyes, full of curiosity, looking up at him. As a teacher, he has always encouraged his students to ask all the questions they have and to never feel ashamed or squeamish to do so. In exchange, he has promised to always do his best to give them the answers they’re looking for. Today, for the first time in almost three years, he failed.

 

“Powers are a touchy subject for you, Baek, and it’s okay,” Chanyeol reassures him. “Everybody has some. I don’t think your student is going to mind. She probably won’t even remember it tomorrow.”

 

Thing is, Baekhyun is not worried about Jinah; he knows she’s going to be fine.

 

“Truthfully, Yeol, it just hurts to see someone’s eyes light up with their discovery when I…” Baekhyun’s voice cracks audibly and Baekhyun winces. He gets up, wobbling on his shaky legs. Chanyeol makes to follow him but Baekhyun shakes his head to deny his help.

 

“Let’s just forget all of this happened,” Baekhyun says to Chanyeol, staggering towards his room. “Thank you for the meal. And the _soju_.”

 

Baekhyun shuts the door of his room before he can hear Chanyeol’s reply. He doesn’t bother to change out of his work clothes before falling head first on the bed. Baekhyun feels stupid for being so emotional about the power situation, especially since he’s been actively trying to convince everyone around him that he’s over the issue. At least he’ll be able to blame today’s outburst on the alcohol.

 

Baekhyun falls asleep to a repeat of Jinah’s discovery in his mind. But in his dream-like reality, Jinah is older and she looks like Chanyeol. She catches the football and turns towards Baekhyun. Her smile morphs from radiant to mocking as she taunts him. “You don’t have any power, you failure,” she’s saying in Jongdae’s voice. “You’re a freak.” The voice morphs constantly, going from Jongdae’s to Chanyeol’s to his brother’s. In the end, all the voices shut up except one: his.

 

 

 

 

 

“Is everything okay? You seem out of it.”

 

Minseok’s voice pulls Baekhyun out of his thoughts. They’re at the gym again, quietly cooling down on the treadmill after a series of grueling exercises. Baekhyun doesn’t feel as beaten as he has felt the last couple of weeks and he considers it a grand achievement. In fact, if he didn’t have so much on his mind, he would probably be grinning like an idiot. But Jinah’s incident isn’t far enough in his memories to not feel stretched thin.

 

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Baekhyun says even if he knows he’s not really convincing. By the expression on Minseok’s face, he knows his friend isn’t buying the lie. “Something happened at work, that’s all.”

 

“Is that so?” Minseok prompts, running a hand in his hair. It’s bright red today, bangs falling in his eyes. Baekhyun wonders how he manages to always change his hair color like that without frying his hair off of his head. “That reminds me that you never told me what you do for a living.”

 

“I’m an elementary teacher. First grade,” Baekhyun replies and, at Minseok’s complete look of astonishment, starts laughing. “What? Don’t I look the part?”

 

“Absolutely not,” Minseok retorts with a laugh. “I wouldn’t trust you with my kids, that’s for sure!”

 

“I’ll let you know that the kids love me, okay?” Baekhyun whines, faking offense. The banter has somewhat pulled the dark cloud hanging over his head away and he already feels a little lighter. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Minseok’s small victorious smile and it warms his heart.

 

It’s not even eight pm when they reach the locker rooms. Baekhyun feels gross and sweaty. He just wants to go home, shower and crash in his bed. Maybe binge-watch some of his favorite episodes of One Piece. He hasn’t been sleeping well since Jinah’s discovery, dreams turning into familiar nightmares. Baekhyun takes his time peeling of his sweat-soaked shirt off of his body, trading it for a more comfortable t-shirt. He’s halfway into tying his shoelaces and calling it a night when Minseok sits down next to him on the locker room’s bench.

 

“Since we finished working out way earlier than usual today, I thought maybe we could go check out that new coffee shop around the corner,” Minseok says, voice meek and small like never before. Upon closer inspection, his cheeks are slightly rose in color. “I mean, if you don’t have anything else to do. We could also go home and just meet next week. I don’t want to pressure you or anything, really, it’s just a thought that…”

 

Baekhyun smiles, amused. He’s never seen Minseok so insecure. In the gym, while they’re working out, Minseok is all confidence and strength. He yells at Baekhyun when he doesn’t bend down enough while doing push-ups and mocks him when he whines about sore muscles. But now, Minseok is tripping over his words, cheeks so flushed he looks like a small tomato. It’s _cute,_ in a way Baekhyun didn’t think Minseok could be.

 

“I’ll gladly come check that coffee shop out with you,” Baekhyun says to end Minseok’s suffering. The latter sighs audibly, clearly relieved, and it makes Baekhyun’s heart beat a little faster in his chest. There hasn’t been any progress in their friendship since the first day of training, much to Baekhyun’s dismay. And he has tried pretty much everything, except being straight up obvious about his interest.

 

But now, Minseok has made the first step. It’s Baekhyun’s turn. And god, he’s so ready.

 

The coffee shop is neat. It’s clearly modeled after the American coffee shops Baekhyun has seen in movies, with its dark wooden tables and white brick walls. But it has a nice atmosphere, with slow acoustic music coming out of the speakers and whispered conversations. There are also not a lot of customers when Minseok and Baekhyun enter a little after eight. Two college students are pouring over books and highlighters on a table for four. A couple in the back are kissing without any care in the world about who could see them. Baekhyun already likes the place.

 

The menu is fairly simple: coffee or tea. Minseok, self-described coffee enthusiast, chooses a double espresso while Baekhyun settles for a simple Chinese green tea. The cashier, a young girl overly passionate about her job, directs them towards the tables, stating their drinks will be delivered to them shortly.

 

“We come to a coffee shop and you order a tea?” Minseok says, looking personally offended about the fact.

 

“I don’t like coffee,” Baekhyun responds simply. It’s the truth. The only way he can stand drinking coffee is drowned in cream and sugar and even then, he drinks it only because he needs the extra boost to go through the day. But, if Baekhyun is totally honest with himself, he said that only to irk Minseok further because he looks so adorable when he’s mad. Like an angered hamster.

 

It works. Minseok’s eyes go impossibly wide, as if he can’t comprehend that someone can dislike coffee. It makes Baekhyun laugh so hard he almost falls off of his chair. He only calms down when the same employee arrives with their two cups. She bows multiple times, thanking them for choosing the shop, before retreating back to her post behind the cash. Baekhyun wipes a stray tear from the corner of his eyes.

 

“You should’ve seen your face, it was priceless,” Baekhyun gloats. Minseok glares at him from behind his cup.

 

“I can’t believe you don’t like coffee. It’s the drink of heaven,” Minseok grumbles in total disbelief. Baekhyun shakes his head, reaching for his own cup of tea. The first sip confirms his choice: _this_ is heaven.

 

“I can’t stand anything bitter,” Baekhyun explains to Minseok. “I’m all about the sweet life.”

 

“Is that why you’re so loud all the time?” Minseok asks without missing a beat. It makes Baekhyun laugh again. He attracts the attention of the two students who glare at him from their table. Baekhyun bites his lips to stifle another laugh as he turns around to look at his friend.

 

“No, that’s just who I am. Always have been, always will be,” Baekhyun answers and Minseok chuckles, shaking his head in discouragement.

 

For a moment, the discussion dies down, both of them sipping on their drinks quietly. It dawns on Baekhyun that it’s the first time they’re spending a moment together outside of the gym. While their friendship is simple in between exercises and heavy machines, exchanging banters and insults over who can do more push-ups (Minseok), more sit-ups (Minseok) and more chin-ups (still Minseok), outside, it becomes touchy. What do you talk about with someone you don’t really know outside of a specific context?

 

“It’s awkward, isn’t it?” Minseok says, more an observation than an actual question. “I really didn’t think this through when…”

 

“So tell me about yourself, Minseok,” Baekhyun cuts him off with a smile. “Where are you from? Any siblings? Any dirty secrets I might be interested in?”

 

“An interrogatory, huh?” Minseok laughs, eyes shining with amusement. “I’m from Gyeonggi-do. I have a younger sister, Minah, that is super interested in meeting you, actually.”

 

“You’ve been talking about me to your sister?” Baekhyun asks, shocked. He knows he’s been talking about Minseok to everyone close to him, but it’s different. Baekhyun has an obvious crush on Minseok. But why would Minseok even talk about him to his sister of all people? They’re only gym buddies.

 

Baekhyun’s reaction visibly makes Minseok realize what he said because his face goes from alabaster to crimson in the space of a second. Baekhyun is quickly becoming addicted to making Minseok blush.

 

“No! I mean yes. I mean, I tell her everything. We’re really close,” Minseok finishes lamely and Baekhyun, not wanting to embarrass him any further, keeps his mouth shut to stifle a laugh.

 

“That’s cool. That you’re close, I mean,” Baekhyun says to steer the subject to a less dangerous route. “I have an older brother but we’ve lost touch when I went to college.”

 

“That sucks,” Minseok sympathizes, clearly more at ease with the way the conversation is going. “Any hope on salvaging your relationship?”

 

Baekhyun thinks about it for a second. Baekbeom had been one of the hardest people on Baekhyun when they found out he was struggling with his power’s discovery. Baekhyun has memories of Baekbeom trying everything and anything on him to try and activate his little brother’s power. He never stopped, not even when Baekhyun begged him to. Then, he got married and moved away from Bucheon at his wife’s request and Baekhyun got accepted in a college in Seoul and they never really spoke again. Sure, they see each other at Christmas and _Seollal_ and _Chuseok_ but that’s pretty much it.

 

“No, I don’t think so,” Baekhyun answers at last. He steers his gaze away from the window to flash Minseok a reassuring smile. “But it’s okay, I’ll live. Tell me about that sister of yours.”

 

Minseok lauches himself in a monologue about Minah, how great she is, how beautiful she looks, how strong her mind is. Just by listening to him, Baekhyun can feel the love he has for his little sister and it warms his heart. He wishes his older brother would be like that, but, instead of the usual wave of self-pity that accompanies these thoughts, he only feels gratitude to be able to witness such a pure brother-sister relationship.

 

“She’s also a little shit most of the time,” Minseok finishes with a laugh. “I’m sure you’ll get along really well.”

 

“Hey! I’ll let you know that I’m handsome, kind, humble and amazing, thank you very much,” Baekhyun gloats, pulling another chuckle from Minseok.

 

“You’re cute, I’ll give you that,” Minseok answers cheekily and Baekhyun feels his face warm up. Minseok just called him _cute_.

 

Minseok reaches over the table to pinch Baekhyun’s cheek, pulling a surprised laugh out of him. Minseok’s fingers aren’t hurtful and the sting doesn’t register in Baekhyun’s mind. He only has Minseok’s eyes in thoughts, full of mischief and something akin to fondness.

 

“Yes, really cute,” Minseok murmurs, probably more for himself than for Baekhyun, but he hears it anyway. It makes butterflies fly in his stomach. Baekhyun clears his throat and it pulls Minseok out of whatever trance he’s been in. He removes his hand from Baekhyun’s face and settles back in his chair.

 

Baekhyun picks up his cup to wet his parched throat, but it’s empty. A quick look at the window tells him that the sun has set a long time ago, leaving Seoul illuminated with only neon lights.

 

“It’s pretty late,” Baekhyun pouts, disappointed that the time passed by so fast. “I should probably get going. I have to wake up early tomorrow.”

 

Minseok hums, finishing his coffee. It must be lukewarm at best, straight up cold at worse, and Baekhyun can’t contain the grimace taking over his features. If hot coffee is disgusting, then once-upon-a-time-hot-now-cold coffee is simply the drink of the devil. Minseok hits him on the shoulder when he notices.

 

“Let’s exchange phone numbers,” Baekhyun says when they stand outside of the coffee shop. The temperature dropped significantly since they left the gym and Baekhyun shivers at the cool wind brushing against his bare skin. He really should’ve stopped by the apartment to grab a hoodie before going to the gym. “So you can keep me updated on your sister’s thoughts about me.”

 

Minseok laughs but agrees without protesting. Minseok’s Iphone is in perfect condition, screen protector smooth under Baekhyun’s fingers as he keys in his number. In contrast, his old Samsung looks really busted. But his trusty _SaemSam_ does the job really well and that’s all that matters.

 

“Thank you for tonight,” Baekhyun says as he hands Minseok his phone back. “It was a really good idea to come here.”

 

“I’ll see you around,” Minseok answers, smile turning his eyes in little crescents. Baekhyun stares and tries to commit the image to memory, to have something to think about tonight when he’ll lay in bed and wait for slumber to reach him.

 

Turns out he doesn’t need Minseok’s smile to fall asleep, not when he has Minseok’s voice, through text, wishing him a good night of sleep. It’s with a smile that Baekhyun falls asleep, hand clutching his still vibrating Samsung.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a few weeks since the coffee shop date, as Baekhyun calls it, and, to his dismay, nothing really changed between him and Minseok. They still meet up to work out every Wednesday. They talk through texts every day, Baekhyun sending pictures of his lunch and venting about difficult students and Minseok replying with selfies and emojis. Baekhyun has been saving all the selfies in his phone and, when he can’t sleep and Minseok doesn’t answer his messages, he scrolls through them. He would set one as his background picture but he’s afraid Minseok would see it and be freaked out.

 

Other than hitting the gym, they don’t really do anything. The texts are superficial at best, but Baekhyun doesn’t know how to express his interest without looking desperate. He wants so many things but doesn’t know how to obtain them. Every Wednesday, Baekhyun promises himself that he’s going to ask Minseok out on a date, but the night ends before he can gather his courage and go through with it. Then, he goes home and curses himself to the moon and back for his cowardice. Rinse and repeat every week.

 

“You’re seriously driving me crazy,” Chanyeol groans, letting his head fall back over the couch. Baekhyun doesn’t move from where he’s lying on his side, feet on Chanyeol’s thighs. They’re watching an historical drama that none of them really follows.

 

“What did I do again?” Baekhyun asks, fingers deep in his bag of Doritos.

 

“You’re being a dumb idiot, that’s what you did,” Jongdae yells from the kitchen. He’s going through Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s fridge in search of beers or _soju_.

 

“I didn’t invite you in my home for you to insult me, Kim Jongdae,” Baekhyun pouts. It makes Chanyeol laugh, of course, even if Baekhyun aimed for a more dramatic effect. But he has had a terrible day and he feels tired beyond words. It’s only the first day of the week but Baekhyun is already ready for the weekend.

 

“You didn’t invite me; Chanyeol did,” Jongdae responds, not bothering to make Baekhyun move before sitting down directly on his legs. Baekhyun howls and kicks until he stands to let him straighten up.

 

“Not only you insult me but you bully me out of my own couch. I can’t believe the affront.” Baekhyun clutches his heart dramatically, which earns him a whack on the shoulder by Jongdae.

 

“Shut up, stupid,” Jongdae says, plopping down on the couch between the roommates. “Don’t try to make a diversion and steer the discussion away from yourself.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Baekhyun grumbles, crossing his arms on his chest. He hates when his friends do that: getting right up his business. He can handle his relationship with Minseok on his own without their mingling.

 

“Then please explain why you spend every hour of every day complaining about not being with Minseok or not talking to Minseok or not seeing Minseok,” Chanyeol says, frustration audible in his voice. Baekhyun opens his mouth to defend himself but finds he can’t because Chanyeol is right.

 

It’s not his fault, Baekhyun wants to say. But in the end, he only pouts and says nothing. It only prompts Chanyeol and Jongdae to laugh at him. Baekhyun whines loudly, burying his face in the couch’s pillow. His friends both bicker and mock him, imitating how he complains about his Minseok-less life. He laughs, just to keep face, but inside, he wishes they would shut up. They know how hard it is for him to be open with someone new and they should understand why he’s taking his time. (Not that the time-taking is really his own work, but Baekhyun is sure he can make them believe it.)

 

“Since you have so much fun without me,” Baekhyun says, rising to his feet. The half-empty bag of Doritos falls to the floor but he doesn’t bother picking it up. “I’m going to leave you alone.”

 

“Where are you going?” Chanyeol wonders, voice tight with something akin to concern. Baekhyun’s mouth stretches in a small smile; he knew at least one of them would care.

 

“Shower,” Baekhyun answers simply. Chanyeol nods, flashing him a quick smile while Jongdae gives him a thumb-up, other hand buried in his popcorn bowl.

 

Baekhyun takes his time, letting the hot water massage his tense muscles. Showering is one of his favorite things to do. In there, Baekhyun doesn’t have to worry about powers and expectations. In there, he can sing Girls Generation’s songs at the top of his lungs without a care in the world. He doesn’t bother dressing up when he’s done; his friends have already seen it all. Baekhyun puts on a pair of underwear and wraps a towel around his head to keep his hair from dripping water all over his shoulders.

 

As he expected, neither Chanyeol nor Jongdae even bat an eyelid at his sudden state of undress. In fact, they’re more engrossed in each other, whispering in soft tone, seated almost knee to knee on the couch, to pay attention to him. Baekhyun clears his throat to signal his presence and they jump away from each other quickly.

 

“You’re back!” Jongdae exclaims with way too much enthusiasm, springing to his feet. Baekhyun is all but pushed into the cushions, phone trusted into his hands. “We’ll get going then.”

 

“Going where?” Baekhyun asks, confused. Chanyeol is already reaching for his keys and wallet on the vanity next to the door. “I thought we were going to watch movies and hang out?”

 

“Change of plans.” Jongdae jams his feet in his sneakers. They’re clearly in a hurry to leave and it makes Baekhyun even more confused. “We’re going clubbing.”

 

“Clubbing? On a Monday?” Baekhyun is perplexed. They look too frantic to be telling the truth, but, at the same time, why would they be lying? As if Chanyeol can read his thoughts, he reaches out and grabs Baekhyun by the shoulders. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. And you could use the night to relax.”

 

Baekhyun supposes he could after the day he has had. The apartment is always quieter when Jongdae isn’t there too. Baekhyun shrugs and makes the decision to not ask any questions. Maybe clubbing on a Monday is fun. They both have odd jobs that don’t require them to be up and about at seven in the morning every week day; Baekhyun would be a jerk to stop them from having fun.

 

“Don’t get drunk enough to not be able to come home alone because I’m not going to  pick you up,” Baekhyun warns them. Jongdae laughs as Chanyeol assures him that they won’t do anything stupid. Then the door closes behind them and the silence returns to the apartment.

 

Baekhyun is almost asleep when the doorbell rings. It wakes him up with a start and he drops the bag of Doritos on the floor again. Baekhyun blinks the sleepiness away from his eyes as he rises to his feet. Who the hell knocks on someone’s door at nine-thirty in the evening?

 

Apparently, Kim Minseok does. When Baekhyun registers that it’s not his neighbor asking for flour or anything of the sort, he slams the door shut in Minseok’s face. Baekhyun’s heart is pounding in his chest, so loudly it’s the only thing he can hear. That, and Minseok’s faint laugh from outside the apartment.

 

“Are you gonna let me in?” Minseok asks, voice laced with amusement. Baekhyun makes a small choking sound as he wrenches the door open.

 

Questions about what Minseok is doing here are at the tip of Baekhyun’s tongue, but all of them die when he _sees_ Minseok. Maybe it comes from the fact that Baekhyun only saw him dressed in sports gear, but he’s never seen Minseok look so good. His hair, a dark shade of burgundy, is swept off his forehead. He’s dressed in a white button-up, sleeves rolled up and showcasing his forearms. The shirt is tucked in a pair of washed-up blue jeans that highlights the narrowness of his waist. Minseok looks good, gorgeous even and Baekhyun doesn’t know what to do with the butterflies in his stomach and the tremors of his heart.

 

Baekhyun must be staring because he can see Minseok becoming slightly uncomfortable second by second, cheeks flushing under his eyes. He almost reaches for them before he remembers where he is. He moves to the side, letting Minseok enter the apartment and closes the door behind him, hitting his forehead against it. He needs a moment, or maybe an hour, to process what is happening.

 

“Hum… Do you want to, maybe, get dressed?” Minseok mutters, eyes everywhere but on Baekhyun. It’s only at that moment that Baekhyun realizes that he’s half-naked in front of his crush. Half-naked, with orange fingers from the chips he’s been eating all night. Hell, even his mouth is probably orange. The embarrassment hits him quickly and strongly and Baekhyun groans and hides his face in his hands.

 

“I’ll just… please sit down, I’ll be… back,” Baekhyun struggles to say, not looking up from his hands as he runs towards his room. Of course, because he’s not looking where he’s going, he runs straight into the coffee table. It sends him flying across the room and he lands pretty badly against the wall. Baekhyun groans.

 

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Minseok is by his side in a second, helping him sit upright. Baekhyun nods and the slight movement brings a wave of pain in his head. He winces.

 

“I hit my head pretty hard, didn’t I?” Baekhyun says more than asks. It seems to break the tension between because they start laughing, quietly at first then out loud.

 

Minseok is the first to get back to his senses. Slowly, with the experience that comes with working in a gym where accidents can happen at all time, he helps Baekhyun to his feet and starts directing him towards the couch. Somehow, the movement is enough for Baekhyun to regain a sense of reality and he flails about, almost hitting Minseok in the face in his haste to get away from him.

 

“The bedroom,” Baekhyun says in panic. It hurts his head a great deal to move like he does and he vaguely wonders if he managed to give himself a concussion. Beside him, Minseok nods and, looping an arm around his naked waist, starts guiding him away from the living room.

 

“Second door to the right,” Baekhyun mutters when Minseok asks him where to go. His heart is pounding in his head, a mix of the consequences of the fall and of the emotions created by Minseok’s proximity. The light hurts his eyes and Baekhyun can physically feel the bump growing on his forehead.

 

As soon as Minseok drops him on the bed, Baekhyun starts searching for a clean shirt and a pair of pants. He doesn’t think he can get up on his own, so he settles for his pyjama bottoms and the sweatshirt he ditched earlier today.

 

“You were so cute!” Baekhyun hears, making him turn around faster than his head agrees with. The room spins for a moment before settling down enough for him to see that Minseok is standing in front of his desk. More specifically, in front of his baby pictures.

 

The sound that escapes Baekhyun’s mouth is a mix between an embarrassed cry and an angry groan. It startles Minseok, who jumps and turns around, shy smile on his face. He looks apologetic and that’s the only thing keeping him from exercising his revenge.

  
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.” Minseok offers his hand to help Baekhyun to his feet. They make their way back to the living room. “Those little chubby cheeks really drew me in.”

 

“Stop!” Baekhyun screams, face flushed. It makes Minseok laugh as they settle on the couch. For a moment, Minseok leaves Baekhyun alone, going to the kitchen to retrieve an icepack and ice the bump on his head. “My mom’s gonna be so angry at you. You took her mom’s privilege of embarrassing me away from her!”

 

“Oh, so you were going to introduce me to your mom?” Minseok taunts him. He sits down next to Baekhyun on the small couch, two bottles of beer on the low table in front of them. He makes sure Baekhyun is holding the icepack correctly on his forehead.

 

“I mean… I’m still waiting to meet your sister,” Baekhyun stutters, red sweeping down his cheeks to his neck and ears. He really didn’t mean to say that. How do you even justify the fact that you thought about introducing a friend to your mom? Baekhyun hides his face in his hands, knocking the icepack away and brushing against his injury. He howls in pain.

 

“Idiot,” Minseok says fondly. He runs his hand in Baekhyun’s hair until he looks up. “You’re going to end up hurting yourself more than you already have. Just lay down, okay? I’ll take care of you.”

 

Baekhyun’s heart soars. He obeys immediately, following the gentle push of Minseok’s hand until his head is resting on Minseok’s thighs. It feels strangely intimate lying down like this, but, at the same time, it feels natural. Like this is the place Baekhyun has belonged to his entire life. It makes his heartbeat settle down in his chest and he exhales loudly.

 

“Everything okay?” Minseok murmurs, hand still tracing patterns in Baekhyun’s hair. He could probably fall asleep like this but he doesn’t want to. Not when this is the closest they’ve ever been: Minseok in his apartment, on his couch.

 

“Why are you here?” Baekhyun finally asks, because he is curious but mainly to push away the sleepiness. “Not that I don’t want you here, I mean, I don’t mind…”

 

Minseok shushes him with a small chuckle and a cold finger against his lips. “You texted me asking to come by? To watch a movie and hang out?” He phrases his answers like questions, clearly sure about them but unsure about the whole conversation. It makes Baekhyun scramble for his cellphone. Surely, there are a couple of new messages in his conversation with Minseok.

 

“Fucking Jongdae”, Baekhyun mutters under his breath. He knew it was suspicious that both his friends decided to go clubbing. On a Monday!

 

“Should I leave, since it’s clearly a prank?” Minseok asks. Baekhyun looks up at him. Minseok has a weak smile on his lips, clearly trying to appear nonchalant but failing. It makes Baekhyun’s heart drop to the pit of his stomach.

 

“No, no, please don’t leave,” Baekhyun pleads. Minseok’s sharp eyes zero on him, trying to see through him and Baekhyun lets him. He wants Minseok to stay because, even if he didn’t invite him himself, in the end, he wanted to. He just didn’t have the courage to.

 

For a moment, nobody moves. They look into each other’s eyes, Baekhyun’s head still on Minseok’s thighs. Baekhyun hopes Minseok can read the sincerity in his eyes, the fear that kept him from actually calling him himself. Something shifts in Minseok’s facial expression, an impending stormy cloud lifting away and being replaced by a blinding smile.

 

“I couldn’t leave anyway. Somebody has to make sure you won’t hurt yourself again.” Minseok’s voice transpires of fondness and happiness and Baekhyun wants to reach up and kiss him until they’re both breathless. He almost does, especially when Minseok gets closer. For a moment, he thinks this is it and Baekhyun closes his eyes, expecting. He hears a chuckle and, when he opens his eyes, Minseok is flipping through the channels. Right, the controller.

 

“Should we watch a movie, then?” Minseok asks even as he settles for the same baseball game Baekhyun was watching before.

 

“I don’t think I would be able to watch one without falling asleep in the middle,” Baekhyun says with honesty. His eyes already feel heavy with sleep and the shock of emotions. His head feels a little bit better after having been iced, but not enough to keep the drowsiness at bay. Baekhyun wants to stay awake so bad, but he doesn’t think he’ll manage.

 

In the end, he falls asleep; Minseok’s head a comforting weight on his hips as the latter succumbs to slumber too.

 

 

 

 

 

Something shifts in Baekhyun and Minseok’s friendship after that faithful night in Baekhyun’s apartment. Their nights in the gym shift from actual work out plans to something akin to a date. (Almost) every fantasy Baekhyun has ever had about Minseok and the gym comes true.

 

Suddenly, the exercises include more touching: soft caresses on Baekhyun’s calves when Minseok holds his ankles during sits-up, thumb brushing against his lips to catch a stray drop of water. In turn, Baekhyun lets free reign to his natural touchy personality and returns the favor in tenfold. When Minseok demonstrates a new exercise, Baekhyun runs his fingers on his bulging muscles. He towels Minseok’s hair dry when the latter gets out of the shower. Every opportunity to lay his hands on Minseok is a good one and it seems Minseok has the same mindset as him.

 

They don’t talk about this new development in their friendship. Baekhyun wants to, because he ultimately wishes to take it to the next level. He wants to not only touch Minseok but to kiss him too. Since the thought crossed his pain-inebriated mind, back in his apartment, he can’t stop thinking about it. It leads to embarrassing situations where Baekhyun gets caught red-handed starting at Minseok’s lips. But how can he not, when they look so pink and soft?

 

It takes a couple of weeks before Baekhyun notices Minseok’s doing the same thing. The first time he sees Minseok’s eyes travel south from his eyes to stop at his mouth, he doesn’t think anything of it. It’s normal to look at someone’s lips when that person talks. (Baekhyun knows that Minseok prefers looking into someone’s eyes, but he makes abstraction of the fact.) The seventh time, though, it starts a dangerous thought process in Baekhyun’s mind, a process that probably leads him to the situation he’s in right now.

 

In insight, Baekhyun saw it coming. The signs have been there for weeks, less and less subtle. Baekhyun is not surprised when Minseok pushes him into his locker, padlock digging in the small of his back. In a second, Minseok’s lips are on his. There’s nothing slow about the kiss. Minseok’s mouth is insistent on Baekhyun’s, coaxing his lips open. He tastes like orange Gatorade, water and moisture and the combination of tastes makes Baekhyun’s head spin.

 

Minseok lets out a small moan that spurs Baekhyun into action. He turns them around, slamming Minseok into a locker harder than he intended to. Baekhyun draws back from the kiss to apologize but Minseok is on him in an instant, as if he can’t stand to be separated from Baekhyun’s lips. It makes Baekhyun smile through the kiss and their teeth clash together.

 

Minseok’s hands travel from Baekhyun’s broad shoulders to the back of his head where he tangles his fingers in Baekhyun’s hair. He pulls and it makes Baekhyun moan loudly. Baekhyun’s mouth finds Minseok’s again, this time slipping his tongue in between his lips. An explosion of flavor follows, taking over all of Baekhyun’s senses. The only thing he can taste is Minseok. The only thing he can see is Minseok. The only thing he can feel is Minseok.

 

“God, Baekhyun,” Minseok half-whispers, half-moans when Baekhyun lets him take a breath, choosing to let his lips travel to the cut of his jawline down his neck. Baekhyun leaves behind a trail of hickeys and blemishes, slowly becoming addicted to the sounds escaping Minseok’s mouth as he does so.

 

The need to be close, closer, burns in Baekhyun’s stomach. He jams his knee in between Minseok’s legs, just shy of the bulge in his shorts. It elicits a shout from Minseok that Baekhyun muffles with his mouth. They’re still in the locker room at Minseok’s workplace and anybody could walk in on them. The element of danger only serves to arouse Baekhyun more. He pushes his hips forward, brushing against Minseok’s thigh and he moans.

 

“Baekhyun, we should stop,” Minseok manages to say in between kisses. His words are contradicted by the movement of his pelvis, grinding on Baekhyun’s thigh. Baekhyun doesn’t listen and keeps kissing him everywhere he can reach: collarbones, neck, jawline, mouth. He nips at the sensitive skin behind Minseok’s ear and the response is immediate. Minseok’s whole body shivers violently and he lets out a choked cry as he goes completely still. “Fuck.”

 

Minseok’s eyes are blown open, face filled with ecstasy. It fuels Baekhyun’s own arousal, orgasm already filling his lower stomach with fire. He can’t stop kissing Minseok, can’t stop his hands from slipping under his shirt and tracing his delicious abs. Baekhyun wonders if they taste as tangy as the rest of Minseok’s skin, if they are smooth like his neck or rough like his cheeks. In the mist of arousal, he makes a promise to himself to find out.

 

“Come on, Baek,” Minseok murmurs in the crook of his neck. He props his knee up, brushing against Baekhyun’s engorged cock and it’s all it takes. Baekhyun cums with a shout, vision going white and ears slightly ringing.

 

They’re not really kissing, lips brushing against each other as they pant and try to catch their breath. When Baekhyun opens his eyes again, Minseok is staring right at him, gaze filled with a remaining of lust but also a lot of fondness. It makes Baekhyun blush, which is so dumb because he didn’t even bat an eyelash when they were dry-humping each other. But now that Minseok’s looking at him, he’s blushing like a maiden.

 

“We should probably shower,” Minseok says at last, looking down at their bodies. Baekhyun shifts a little further away and can feel the cum in his underwear starting to stick to his skin. He grimaces, which prompts Minseok to laugh. Whenever he laughs, his whole body twitches and his gums make an appearance. Baekhyun finds it really cute and can’t resist the temptation to kiss him again.

 

“Baek, I’m disgusting, let me shower,” Minseok pleads when the kiss turns into another slow make-out session. Baekhyun lets him push him away.

 

“I don’t have a change of clothes,” Baekhyun says sheepishly. “I should just go home and change there.” He doesn’t want to, but the idea of putting back his cum-soiled underwear and sweat-soaked clothes back on after a shower doesn’t sound that appealing. There’s also the fact that they are still in the gym and he honestly isn’t sure he could keep his hands (and dick) to himself in presence of a naked and wet Minseok.

 

“Sure,” Minseoks nonchalantly says, grabbing his towel. When he turns around to look at Baekhyun, though, the latter can see the affection in his eyes. Baekhyun smiles, crooking his finger to coax Minseok closer. Once he’s within reach, Baekhyun grabs him by the nape to place another slow, deep kiss on his lips.

 

“I’ll talk to you soon,” he murmurs. He feels Minseok smile against his mouth and he reaches to lick his teeth. Minseok pushes him away, laughing. “Later, Baek.”

 

Baekhyun can’t wipe the smile off of his face, not when he gathers his things, throwing them higgledy-piggledy in his bag, not when he’s walking on the street to his apartment, not even when he gets home and Chanyeol asks him about his abused red lips. Nothing can taint the happiness he’s feeling and when Minseok texts him, late at night, a simple “goodnight, baek” with a heart emoji, Baekhyun falls asleep feeling like he’s floating.

 

 

 

 

 

If someone were to ask Baekhyun, he would say he doesn’t feel any different than usual. Of course, he’s subjected to more variation in his heartbeat, mainly related to whose texting him. Maybe he’s smiling a little bit more, even if it’s almost impossible for someone like him, who is breathing positivity.

 

If someone were to ask Baekhyun’s students, though, they would beg to differ. Fortunately, six year-olds have no filter and don’t often feel like keeping their thoughts for themselves. It also helps that Baekhyun has a close relationship with his students, acting like a teacher, yes, but also a father, an older brother, a best friend. They don’t hesitate to tell him everything and, apparently, the newest subject of discussion is Baekhyun’s visible boost of happiness.

 

“It’s like you have a sunshine under your skin,” Seokjin says during second period. It’s a beautiful Monday and Baekhyun insisted to bring his students outside. He’s a really big believer that atmosphere and context influence learning and he makes it a duty to bring them away from the classroom as much as possible.

 

“It’s true, Mr. Byun! You look a lot more happy,” Sanghyuk adds.

 

“Happier, Sanghyuk, not more happy,” Baekhyun corrects him. It’s a reflex at this point, to correct them every time they say something wrong. The incorrect formulation doesn’t keep the blush at bay, though, and Baekhyun finds himself fanning his face with an exercise book. “I don’t think I’ve been acting any different…”

 

His words spark a cacophony of objections coming from his students. They stand up from their places on the grass, loudly voicing their disagreement. It takes a while before Baekhyun manages to calm them down enough to resume the lesson, but he succeeds, like he always does. Their comments, however, keep running through his mind all day, not giving him a second of respite. Baekhyun analyzes his every move, trying to come up with signs that he _is_ acting happier than usual but comes out empty-handed.

 

His students continue to bring up his brighter demeanor for a couple of days until something new occurs and they switch obsession. Baekhyun embraces the change of topic with an open heart. Still, the seeds have been planted in his mind. He thinks about asking Chanyeol and Jongdae about it but he doesn’t want to deal with their teasing comments more than he already has to.

 

Baekhyun is thinking about it, seated at his desk in the teacher’s room when Seulgi, one of his colleagues, barges in. Her panicked eyes scan the room in a hurry, before her gaze settles down on him. “Baekhyun, we need help!”

 

The edge in her voice makes Baekhyun stand up in a heartbeat. His papers fall helter-skelter on the desk, grading way out of his mind now. Every catastrophe scenario is running through his head, from a shooter in school to an injury.

 

“Haneul is having an episode,” Seulgi says, signaling for Baekhyun to follow her outside the room. Baekhyun obeys, already mentally preparing for the challenge ahead. “He’s in the classroom. We’ve asked all the other students to go to recess early.”

 

Baekhyun nods. They still have a little way to go before they reach the third year classroom, but he can already hear the shouting. He hurries along the corridor, Seulgi hot on his heels. When he reaches the door, Baekhyun doesn’t hesitate a second before entering.

 

Haneul is small for an eight year-old. He looks harmless, with little freckles on the bridge of his nose and pants rolled at the ankle to stop him from walking on the hem. He’s also brandishing a pair of scissors like it’s a dagger. All the desks have been pushed to the walls, liberating the whole classroom floor. The director, a short woman with a strict-looking chignon, and the school’s therapist are standing against the chalkboard, hands in the air. They’re trying to talk to Haneul, but the more they talk the more Haneul gets agitated.

 

“Oh, Byun- _ssi_ , thank god,” the director says when she notices him standing in the doorway. The shift in her attention grabs Haneul’s. At the sight of Baekhyun, he seems to deflate. His posture is already a little less aggressive, scissors a millimeter lower.

 

“Hello,” Baekhyun bows, before turning to face Haneul. He smiles, hands high in the air to show that he has nothing with him. “Hello, Haneul. What is happening here?”

 

“They’re going to hurt me!” Haneul screams, voice so shrill and high-pitched Baekhyun has to hold back a grimace.

 

“Why would they hurt you, Haneul?” Baekhyun asks calmly. Slowly, he’s making his way towards Haneul, making sure to be subtle enough for the child to not notice until it’s too late.

 

“Because they’re mean! They’re mean and I’m not normal and mean people hurt not normal people!”

 

Baekhyun stops in his track. His heart bleeds at Haneul’s words. “Nobody’s normal, Haneul-ah, that’s life. Not you, not me, not Mrs. Kang, nobody.”

 

“But I’m more not normal.” Haneul’s voice drops down in a pitiful sob. Finally, his arms fall limp on both side of his body and the scissors drop to the ground. Baekhyun acts quick. He runs, kicks the scissors away to make sure Haneul doesn’t get the idea to pick them up again and start stabbing everyone. Then, he hugs the student.

 

“It’s okay, Haneul,” Baekhyun murmurs in his hair, slowly rocking from left to right like one would to put a baby to sleep. “Everybody has flaws and yours might be bigger than others, but they still don’t define you. You’re much more than your illness, Haneul.”

 

“Nobody sees that, Mr. Byun.” Haneul’s snot is staining his shirt but Baekhyun can’t bring himself to care. His priority right now is to make sure Haneul is alright.

 

“I see it. I see your potential, Haneul. I see how intelligent you are and how you understand science better than anybody else.” Baekhyun’s comment makes Haneul chuckle and Baekhyun smiles. He’s getting there. “And you’re pretty social too. All my students look up to you, you know? Jinah told me she wants to recreate your volcano experience for the next science fair.”

 

“Is this true, Mr. Byun?” Haneul asks in a small voice. He pushes Baekhyun away so he can peer at his face, to read the sincerity on Baekhyun’s features. Baekhyun lets him, because he’s been nothing but truthful since the beginning. The smile grazing Haneul’s face is magnificent and Baekhyun can feel the relief filling every particle of his being. The situation is under control now.

 

“Thank you, Byun- _ssi_ ,” the director says as they watch Haneul wave at them from the seat of his mother’s car. All the contributors agreed that it would be better for Haneul to go home and get over the day’s emotion in a safe and secure context.

 

“You really have a gift with children,” Seulgi compliments and Baekhyun shoots her a quick smile. He knows. It’s the main reason he decided to be an elementary school teacher.

 

“They only need someone that understands them,” Baekhyun downplays the statement because he knows where this is going. She’s going to be talking about powers soon and it’s honestly the last thing he wants to think about. He still feels the remaining of adrenaline in his veins. What happened with Haneul will haunt his mind for days, no need to add questions about his power in the mix.

 

The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch break. The students will flood the classes in a second and Baekhyun, like Seulgi, needs to get back to his little angels for the afternoon lessons. Baekhyun couldn’t have wished for a better timing and, with a parting wave, goes back to doing what he does best: teach.

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun is surprised at how excited and not nervous he is. Tonight, he has a date with Minseok. An actual date, not going to the gym and spending minutes kissing in the locker room. Not deciding to grab a coffee after a workout. No, they are going on an actual planned date. Baekhyun gets to go home after work, take a shower. He gets to dress up, slick his hair up and away from his face. He gets to do everything a person going on a date does and it’s been so long since the last time it happened to him Baekhyun can’t find it in himself to be anything but happy.

 

Baekhyun reserved a table for two in a small and quiet Thai place close to Chanyeol’s studio. It’s thanks to Chanyeol, actually, that he’s ever heard of the restaurant. According to his friend, the place is welcoming towards couple like Minseok and him, which is more than anything Baekhyun can say about most of the places he’s been to. So when the subject of a dinner date came up, he jumped on the occasion to visit and see if the food is as good as Chanyeol has said.

 

Since the restaurant is on the other side of town, Baekhyun has offered to drive them. He’s spent all of last night cleaning his car thoroughly, throwing out all the rotten takeout from the backseat and spraying _Febreeze_ to eliminate odors. Now, with Minseok in the passenger seat, hands intertwined over the console, Baekhyun feels the happiest he’s ever felt.

 

“How has been your week so far?” Minseok asks, voice soft in the binnacle. Baekhyun is used to turning the radio’s volume way too high, but as soon as Minseok entered his car, he shut it down. It’s weird, to hear nothing but the passing of cars outside his windows, the wind created by the movement and Minseok’s small intakes of breath next to him.

 

“Rough.” There has been Haneul’s incident, of course, which Baekhyun has already informed Minseok of. “The other first grade teacher got sick and, with such a short notice, we had no time to find a replacement. I had no other choice than to take on both classes.”

 

“How is that even possible?” Minseok wonders. He looks offended that Baekhyun has such a heavy workload and it warms his heart and erases a bit of the exhaustion he’s feeling. “You can’t be in two places at the same time!”

 

“We merged the two classrooms in the gym for now,” Baekhyun explains as he turns right. Seoul is always crowded, but the downtown area where they’re going is insanely full with cars, taxis, buses. He needs to be paying attention to the road, but with Minseok’s fingers playing with his, Baekhyun has a hard time concentrating. “We should have another teacher by next week so it’s only for a little while but I’m exhausted.”

 

“We can go back home, if you’d like to rest,” Minseok offers, empathic, but Baekhyun shakes his head. This date, is literally the only thing keeping Baekhyun on his feet.

 

“We’re already here, let’s enjoy tonight,” Baekhyun says instead of all the crazy, romantic things that are running through his mind. He doesn’t want to seem desperate or head-over-heels when they aren’t even official yet.

 

The restaurant is everything Baekhyun has been expecting. It’s small with barely over ten tables. The owners are a cute Thai couple. Baekhyun doesn’t understand a thing they’re saying, not even sure they are indeed speaking Korean but the lady is too adorable for him to be annoyed by it. Most of the tables are unoccupied and Baekhyun feels a little stupid for having called in advance but he wanted to make sure everything would be perfect for Minseok. In a matter of seconds, they are seated in a small booth at the back of the restaurant, closed off from the rest of the room. It gives them privacy.

 

“How about you?” Baekhyun finally gets to ask Minseok, now that they’ve settled down with food in front of them. “How was it at the gym? Is someone else hitting on you again?”

 

Minseok laughs. “Actually, yes! There’s this girl who just registered, she’s been following me everywhere, asking dumb questions about all the machines. You know how they get.”

 

That, Baekhyun knows, because he has seen it. Minseok is a catch, that much is obvious for absolutely everyone in his life. He has his fair share of admirers and is subjected to a lot of bedroom eyes coming from the female staff and users of the gym. It used to grate on Baekhyun’s nerves at the beginning, because it made him feel like he was only one other person in Minseok’s life that was looking at him with stars in his eyes. But now, he doesn’t care. In fact, it makes him proud because Minseok is sought after and Baekhyun is the one Minseok chose.

 

“Is she cute?” Baekhyun slyly asks with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Minseok hits his shin underneath the table and he winces in pain.

 

“She has nothing on you, if that’s what you want to know,” Minseok reassures him. It makes Baekhyun preen under the attention, chest popping out.

 

“I mean, I am quite a catch, if I do say so myself.” Minseok shakes his head with a small chuckle. He grabs a piece of chicken from his curry and, with a hand under it to catch any sauce dripping, offers it to Baekhyun. “Try it, it’s really good.”

 

Baekhyun does, reaching out to take the chicken directly with his mouth. He keeps his eyes focused on Minseok’s. He takes his time, slowly dragging his lips down the chopsticks. He sees Minseok swallows, the bobbing of his Adam’s apple hypnotizing. The flavor of the curry hits his taste buds, an explosion of sweetness and spices, and Baekhyun can’t help the moan that is leaving his lips. He plays it up a little, just to see Minseok’s gaze darken with something akin to lust.

 

“Baek, we’re in public,” Minseok whispers, neck red with arousal and the power Baekhyun has over him makes him giddy. He smiles, but abdicates, getting back to his seat and picking his own chopsticks to keep eating.

 

After a moment, Minseok does the same and they go back to talking about their day, their lives. It’s fun and casual, clearly tinted by the knowledge they already have of each other. They aren’t strangers meeting up for the first time and it shows. Somehow, it makes Baekhyun happy to know he has succeeded in making a genuine connection with someone.

 

“I haven’t done this in a long time,” Baekhyun find himself saying when they’re waiting for the bill. Minseok looks up from his wallet, wad of cash in his hands. “A date, I mean.”

 

“I know what you meant. I’m just surprised, it seems impossible that you’ve been single for so long,” Minseok answers. He says it so nonchalantly, as if it’s obvious that Baekhyun is as amazing as Minseok paints him to be, but Baekhyun is still gasping for breath. It’s not that he looks down on himself and, he jokes around about how great he is, but, at the bottom of his heart, Baekhyun doesn’t really believe he’s anything special. He’s okay, average at best. To see that Minseok is genuinely shocked to know he doesn’t date much is mind-blowing.

 

“The last time I seriously dated was back in university,” Baekhyun says to keep himself from going down that road of self-doubt. “It’s kind of hard to meet anyone when you work at an elementary school and all your friends are straight and in committed relationships.”

 

Minseok hums in understanding. “I haven’t been dating much neither,” he admits with a shy smile and it’s Baekhyun’s turn to be surprised.

 

“Are you serious? You’re hot and you’re surrounded by hot guys every day at your workplace,” Baekhyun exclaims, mouth wide open.

 

“Straight hot guys,” Minseok corrects with a smile. “Anyway, I’m technically not allowed to hook up with customers. It’s against the company’s policies.” He reaches for the bill the owner just put on their table but Baekhyun is faster. He snatches it right out of Minseok’s hand, smiling triumphantly. Minseok’s half-offended, half-surprised expression makes the lady smile and she reaches to pat him on the head. Baekhyun coos.

 

“You’ll get the next one,” Baekhyun says as he hands the cash to the small owner. She smiles, thanking them for coming here and, as they are exiting the restaurant, murmurs in a smooth voice that she hopes they’ll be together for a long time.

 

Baekhyun blushes at her words and, when he turns around to look at Minseok, he sees the red dusting on his cheeks, sign that he heard her too. For a moment, none of them move, surely embarrassed but also flattered. Then, Baekhyun chuckles and they somehow cannot stop laughing after that. Feeling like he’s floating on a cloud, Baekhyun grabs Minseok’s wrist, just shy of his hand, and tugs him forward towards his car.

 

“So you can’t date a customer,” Baekhyun says as he settles down behind the wheel.. “Does that mean we’re illegals?”

 

Minseok hums. “Well, we’re not officially dating so I wouldn’t consider us illegals. Maybe a little bit outlaws, but not illegals.”

 

Baekhyun smiles. He sees the opportunity and takes it. He’s done doubting and being afraid. He likes Minseok. “Maybe we should be illegals, then.”

 

For a second, there is no sound in the binnacle. It’s almost as if Minseok isn’t even breathing next to him. Baekhyun wonders if he read the signs wrong. They’ve been seeing each other for a while now, _seriously_ seeing each other. Minseok is obviously interested and hasn’t hinted that he’s seeing someone else. If anything, he seemed willing to start a relationship with Baekhyun. But now, the silence is stretching between them and Baekhyun becomes more self-conscious by the second.

 

“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?” Minseok finally asks. There is something akin to amazement and wonder in his voice and it makes Baekhyun look away from the road to gaze at this face. Minseok looks pleasantly surprised and it eases all of Baekhyun’s nerves.

 

“Yes,” Baekyun says simply, with a small smile. “I would really love it if you would be my boyfriend.”

 

Minseok’s smile is blinding and Baekhyun can’t look away. He knows it’s dangerous, because he’s driving a car and he could kill them both but Minseok has never look this beautiful. He’s breathtaking, more than anybody Baekhyun has ever met. A word passes through his mind, four little letters, but it’s way too soon to be thinking about anything of this sort. It’s too soon and it’s too much. But when Minseok finally looks back at him, eyes shining and lips parting in a soft “yes”, Baekhyun can’t help but think that, maybe, it isn’t too much. Not for this boy.

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun, with weeks as Minseok’s boyfriend under his belt, has forgotten how being anxious feels like. He settled into some sort of routine with Minseok, texting during their breaks and calling late at night when they can’t sleep. They still hit the gym two to three times a week, but now, they’ve added late night coffee and tea dates to their routine. Minseok has taken to walk Baekhyun back to his apartment complex, where they spend long minutes making out in the back alley like teenagers. They haven’t gone further than kisses and that one dry hump session in the locker room that started it all. It’s not that Baekhyun doesn’t want to sleep with Minseok. Hell, most of the time, it’s the only thing he can think about. But Baekhyun doesn’t want to jump steps and ruin everything, so he keeps his mouth shut and jerks off in the shower in silence.

 

Baekhyun is so comfortable with Minseok by now that when the anxiety comes back, he doesn’t know what to do with it. Should he brush it off and act like everything is okay? Should he talk to Minseok about it, share his worries and ask for reassurance? Should he curl into a ball in his bed and cry until there are no more tears left? What he knows is that it’s too late to do most of these things.

 

Baekhyun is seated in the passenger seat of Minseok’s car. They’re on their way to Minseok’s sister’s in the suburbs of Seoul, back in Guri. She has been begging Minseok to bring Baekhyun around for weeks, according to him, and he couldn’t push it back any further.

 

“She was about to come down to my house and strangle me to death for keeping you all to myself,” Minseok says as he embarks on the highway. Contrary to when Baekhyun was driving, they have music playing in the car, something pop and popular that Baekhyun doesn’t know. He is more into older ballads, soulful and emotional.

 

“I don’t understand why she wants to meet me so badly,” Baekhyun answers. Minah’s desperation doesn’t help his anxiety at all because it only makes him wonder what the hell Minseok has said to her. He’s afraid he won’t meet her standards and her conceptions of him.

 

“I told you, I don’t date a lot,” Minseok murmurs, his voice almost drowned by the music and the sounds of passing cars. “She has always been afraid I would be lonely in the city, so when she knew I found someone, she was ecstatic.”

 

“Were you? Lonely I mean.” Baekhyun asks to keep his mind away from the subject of Minseok’s sister. The more he can pretend this is a normal date, the more his heart will keep beating in his chest and he won’t crumble in a nervous wreck.

 

“Not at the beginning,” Minseok answers with a small sigh. “I’ve dreamt of moving to the city since I was a young boy so, when I managed to make my dream come true, I loved it. But Seoul can become impersonal really quickly.”

 

 Baekhyun nods. He has had the same feelings towards the capital. It is all bright and in your face, fast paced and all kinds of magical, but it is also cold. People walk on the sidewalks but don’t look at each other. One can spend an entire train ride pressed up against a stranger and never look into their eyes and strike a conversation. It is like everyone in the city lives their lives in parallel, all besides each other but never crossing.

 

“I wouldn’t say I was lonely, though,” Minseok adds as an afterthought. “For sure, I longed for a relationship, but it was bearable.”

 

“And then I made everything better,” Baekhyun jokes. He needs to liven up the atmosphere that is becoming sombre by the minute. It works since Minseok laughs and agrees good naturedly. “That, you did.”

 

For a moment, they stay silent. The radio is still playing popish songs, which is probably supposed to calm Baekhyun’s anxiety down because who gets nervous when listening to pop music? It doesn’t, however, help Baekhyun’s situation in any way. Now that his mind isn’t occupied by a conversation, he goes back to worrying about meeting Minah. He knows most of his fears are probably unjustified but insecurities aren’t supposed to make sense. They are irrational and unfounded most of the time but it doesn’t make them any less real.

 

Minseok, as if sensing Baekhyun’s predicament, reaches to take Baekhyun’s hand in his, slowly stroking his thumb on the soft skin. “You never told me why you didn’t pursue a career in music even if you studied it in university,” he says, tentative. Baekhyun welcomes the conversation with an open heart because it’s not a sensitive subject, despite what people might think.

 

“Music is something I love doing,” Baekhyun explains with a smile. “I love singing and performing, even if it’s only in a karaoke room with my drunk friends. But it quickly dawned on me that I didn’t want to make a career out of it.”

 

“Because it takes away the fun of it?” Minseok guesses. His voice isn’t as tight as it was before, probably relieved to see that Baekhyun doesn’t mind talking about the subject.

 

Baekhyun hums in agreement. “All my closest friends are in the music industry. I see how they struggle,” he adds, thinking about the months of starving Chanyeol had gone through before finally landing a contract with a small entertainment company. “Music isn’t easy and you need a drive like no other to actually make it. I don’t think I have ever had it. Singing is a hobby, that’s all.”

 

Minseok nods. “Why did you choose teaching, then?” The question makes Baekhyun smile because it’s probably the thing he likes being asked about the most.

 

“Teachers are one of the most important people in a kid’s life. We spend more time with them than their parents. We play such a huge role on how they develop and mature,” he starts, passion shining in his eyes. “I like being able to make a difference in their lives and, hopefully, infuse a little bit of positivity in their minds.”

 

“I think you’re achieving that pretty well,” Minseok comments. “According to your words, at least, you seem like a great teacher.”

 

“I don’t think I’m the best, but I’m definitely not the worst,” Baekhyun laughs. “I try to do things differently and involve my students as much as I can. I think that when you feel like you have a say in what you do, you learn better.”

 

Baekhyun’s passion shines through his words. If singing is a hobby, then teaching is his calling. He even considered trying to climb the ranks and work in reforming the system, but ultimately decided that being a simple teacher, constantly in contact with the children, was the best way to go. When Baekhyun looks away from the window, Minseok eyes are on him. They’re full of admiration and fondness and Baekhyun cannot turn away, hypnotized.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Baekhyun murmurs, voice heavy and low in the binnacle. Minseok smiles and softly caresses the side of Baekhyun’s face with his thumb.

 

“Your eyes light up when you talk about something you’re passionate about,” Minseok whispers back. “I don’t think I’ve seen something more beautiful.”

 

A car honks behind them and it breaks the moment. They both jump, Minseok’s eyes going back to the road as his hand leaves Baekhyun’s cheek to grip at the steering wheel. Baekhyun gazes out the window, looking at the scenery, cheeks burning up. The tone of Minseok’s voice when he said those words, he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forget it.

 

They reach Minah’s apartment shortly after. She lives in an apartment complex not unlike Baekhyun’s and it somehow calms his nerves a little bit. Still, he runs his palms down his dress shirt to smooth out any creases that could’ve formed after hours in the car. He wants to touch up his hair, make sure it doesn’t flop down his eyes in a messy mop but he has no mirror and is terrified to make it worst.

 

“Relax,” Minseok says, reaching to grab his hand and pull him towards the lobby. “You look good.”

 

“I do?” Baekhyun asks. He means it as a joke, but it comes out shaky from his nerves. He doesn’t understand how Minseok didn’t let go of his hand yet, with the sweat collecting in his palm.

 

“You always do, idiot,” Minseok reassures him with a smile and a small flick on his forehead. Baekhyun whines out loud, reaching to rub the sore spot and Minseok uses his distraction to pull him closer and plant a kiss on his lips. “Don’t worry, okay? Minah is amazing. She’ll love you.”

 

Baekhyun takes a deep breath and nods. Minseok must sense his resolve because he hurries them inside, up the elevator to the fifth floor. Then, it’s only a short walk before he’s knocking on an apartment door and there it is, the moment of truth.

 

Minah doesn’t look anything like Baekhyun imagined. Minseok, even with the crazy hair color that changes all the time (how can he change hair color so fast and still have amazingly soft hair is still a mystery), is a fairly straight guy, with impeccable but predictable taste in fashion. Somehow, Baekhyun expected his sister to be the same: a normal Korean girl, with straight black hair and pretty legs. Instead, he gets a punk-rock girl, dressed in distressed jeans and a crop top that shows off her toned stomach. Her breasts are almost bursting out of her shirt and Baekhyun isn’t even close to being bisexual but he can’t help but stare. He’s never seen boobs this big in his entire life, not even in the disgusting straight porn Chanyeol likes to force him to watch.

 

“My eyes are up here,” Minah says with a laugh and Baekhyun blushes from head to toe as he redirects his attention to her face. She is pretty, which doesn’t come as a surprise because, hello, have you seen her brother? They are really similar, now that Baekhyun has something else than breasts to look at. Same catlike eyes, same heartwarming smile, same small stature. She is barely taller than Baekhyun, but she’s wearing nine inches heels. In Baekhyun’s book, that’s called cheating.

 

“Minah, it’s nice to see you,” Minseok says as he pulls her into a hug. She laughs and puts her arms around his shoulders. “It’s been a while, _oppa_. You’re too busy in the city to come and take care of your little sister, huh?”

 

“You brat,” Minseok grumbles. Baekhyun laughs at how easily she can get under Minseok’s skin. He’s known her for a total of thirty seconds but he already likes her. Minseok gives him a side-look, prompting him with a shake of the head to introduce himself.

 

“Hello, my name is Byun Baekhyun,” he says, bowing to Minah when she lets go of her brother. He smiles, hoping that he doesn’t look as nervous as he feels.

 

“Minseokkie- _oppa_ , he is so cute!” Minah coos, coming up to Baekhyun to squish his cheeks together with her palms. She pinches and pulls, still making weird cooing noises and he sends a hopeless look at Minseok, wordlessly asking for help. Minseok laughs at his predicament and, for a second, Baekhyun fears his boyfriend will leave him to fend for himself. Fortunately, Minseok has mercy on him and pulls his sister back.

 

“It’s really nice to meet you, Baekhyun- _ssi_ ,” Minah says as she ushers them in her apartment. “When _oppa_ told me he had a boyfriend, I almost didn’t believe it. That old soul, scoring a nice guy? It seemed totally impossible.”

 

Minseok pinches her hip, making her yelp. She turns around and chases him down the hall like two little kids. Baekhyun smiles and takes his time removing his shoes and entering the living room. Minah’s apartment is well lived in, with pictures hanging on the walls and books lying on the low table. He thinks he can spot a sock or two underneath the couch when he sits on it but decides to not say anything. Out of breath, Minah comes crashing besides him, letting Minseok raid her fridge in search of something to drink.

  
“I wasn’t kidding, you know?” Minah says as she struggles to catch her breath. “You are really cute.”

 

“Trying to steal my boyfriend, little sister?” Minseok enters the living room with three beers in his hands. He hands one to Baekhyun, who gladly takes it. He’ll need all the liquid courage he can have to get through today. Minah laughs at her brother’s words, shaking her head. She turns the conversation over to Baekhyun, asking him about himself and he finds himself answering all her questions with a smile.

 

Time passes quickly and between jokes, questions and confessions, Baekhyun’s anxiety dies down to nothing. Minah is nothing like Minseok. She’s loud and funny, always moving and kicking and screaming. More often than not, she has the both of them, Minseok and Baekhyun, laughing until their stomachs hurt and they have tears running down their cheeks.

 

They are having so much fun that Baekhyun forgets he’s here to be judged until Minseok leaves them to go to the bathroom. They just finished going through Minseok’s baby pictures, Baekhyun not missing the opportunity to tease Minseok about his chubby past self. Minah is putting away the book in a bookshelf while Baekhyun gathers their empty glasses to put them in the kitchen’s sink. Minah joins him, feet light on the hardwood floor.

 

“I’m glad Minseok- _oppa_ found you,” Minah says unexpectedly and Baekhyun turns around to face her. Her face doesn’t give any of her emotions away. “You’re good for him.”

 

“You think so?” Baekhyun wonders, letting his vulnerabilities show. It’s totally news to him, that he could be something good for Minseok. In his mind, it’s the latter that is beyond good to him.

 

“Minseok- _oppa_ struggles to make connections with people,” Minah explains with a low voice, as if not wanting to be heard. “He is shy and has the tendency to let the things he wants slip through his fingers. But he’s trying for you. Bringing you here to meet me is a good example. And I think you would do the same for him.”

 

Baekhyun nods, because what she says is true. He would do anything for Minseok.

 

“I like you, Baekhyun- _ssi_ ,” Minah concludes with a smile. “Now, let’s embarrassed him further.”

 

“What can be worse than baby pictures?” Baekhyun asks her as he follows her back in the living room. Minah smiles and crouches down in front of the television, pulling out old tapes. She waves them in the air triumphantly.

 

“Did _oppa_ ever tell you he used to do theatre when he was younger?”

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun groans. His legs are burning, muscles pushed to their maximum, but he doesn’t want to give up. He is so close to his goal, he can’t stop now. He looks down at the counter of the treadmill: 9.4 kilometers. He only has 600 meters to run to reach it; he can do it and make Minseok proud.

 

It’s Wednesday, which is usually Minseok and Baekhyun’s gym day, but today, Baekhyun is alone. Minseok pulled something in his shoulder and they both agreed that it would be best for him to skip the workout and rest at home as to not worsen his injury in any way. Because of this, Baekhyun has been training on his own for close to an hour now. His whole body is hurting, but the motivation to run the 10 kilometers is strong. He wants to show Minseok he’s improving.

 

The machine finally beeps and Baekhyun almost lets out a cry of joy as he disembarks of the treadmill. He downs half of his water bottle in one go, throat parched and legs trembling from the effort he just provided. He’s ready to call it a night when someone taps him on the shoulder. Thinking he might have forgotten something, Baekhyun turns around, popping one of his earbuds from his ear. In front of him stands a girl, long black hair pulled in a ponytail. Baekhyun recognizes her from his first times at the gym, where he barely could run half a kilometer before dying of exhaustion.

 

“Hey, I know we’ve never really talked before,” she says, her voice soft like honey. She looks nervous. “But I was wondering if you would go out with me?”

 

Having not expecting her to bluntly asking him out like that, Baekhyun is at a loss for words. He opens his mouth, only to close it once no sounds come out. “I’m seeing someone,” he finally stammers out and embarrassment floods her face. She lets out a small “oh” before hastily bowing and running towards the girls’ locker room. Baekhyun does the same, going to the boys’ one to take a quick shower. He promised Minseok he would pass by after working out, to make sure he’s okay. Minseok insisted that it wasn’t necessary and that, with years as a personal trainer, he has had to face multiple injuries, but Baekhyun didn’t want to hear it.

 

If he’s honest with himself, Baekhyun knows that Minseok’s situation with his shoulder is only an excuse to spend a little more time with his boyfriend.

 

“The girl who’s always on the treadmill at the same time as us asked me out,” is the first thing Baekhyun says when he reaches Minseok’s apartment. He throws his gym bag out of the way, not even bothering to untie his shoes before removing them. Minseok shakes his head and bends down to put them on the shoe rack.

 

“I’m not surprised,” Minseok retorts as he leads them to the kitchen. There’s a plate of fuming spaghetti on the table and Baekhyun plants a kiss on Minseok’s lips to thank him. “She had eyes only for you since you started training at the gym.”

 

Baekhyun frowns. “She’s always laughing at me!” he exclaims with his mouth full and Minseok clicks his tongue in annoyance. “It never occurred to me that she could be interested.”

 

“I’m starting to think you’re blind.” Minseok sits down besides Baekhyun. He picks the crossword he had been doing before Baekhyun arrived back up. “You’re so oblivious to the fact that absolutely everyone around you likes you, it’s kind of funny.”

 

“You’re talking nonsense again,” Baekhyun denies. He’s done with his spaghetti, getting up to put his plate in the dishwasher. Minseok shakes his head in disbelief, maybe at the speed of his eating but also at his disillusion.

 

“Everybody we have ever met has been in infatuated with you,” Minseok states like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I can’t believe you’ve never noticed.”

 

“I only have eyes for you, darling,” Baekhyun croons, pushing Minseok’s chair back so he can straddle his hips and settle down on his lap. Minseok’s arm automatically wrap around his waist to prevent him from falling. Baekhyun slowly starts to play in Minseok’s hair, pulling a groan out of his boyfriend’s mouth. “How’s your shoulder?”

 

“It’s going to be fine,” Minseok reassures him. With a hand at the base of Baekhyun’s neck, he directs him down so he can press his lips against his boyfriend’s. Baekhyun moans and kisses back, coaxing Minseok’s mouth open so he can slip his tongue inside.

 

“Let’s get you to bed,” Minseok whispers when they pull back for air. Baekhyun whines in protest, but he knows his boyfriend’s right. He has to get up early to go back to the apartment and change clothes before school starts.

 

They get ready for bed in a comfortable silence. It all feels oddly domestic, elbows knocking when they brush their teeth together, Baekhyun raiding Minseok’s closet in search of a shirt to sleep in. When they finally lay down, legs intertwined and Baekhyun’s head resting on Minseok’s shoulder, almost asleep, Baekhyun can’t help but think that he has never been this happy.

 

 

 

 

 

“You better bring that boyfriend of yours! I can’t believe you’ve been dating for two months now and you never introduced him to us,” Jongdae whines.

 

Baekhyun rolls his eyes at his friend’s antics. They are currently planning Jongdae’s birthday party. The guy is turning twenty-five, a big number according to him, and wants his big night to be insane. He already issued invitations to almost all their old friends from university. “I only need to find a place cool enough for me,” Jongdae says with a sly smile.

 

“The yard of my school has a nice slide,” Baekhyun leers. “It’s probably cool enough for you.”

 

Chanyeol laughs out loud, limbs flailing everywhere, as Jongdae whines. They attract the attention of the dinners of the restaurant they’re seated in, but none of them cares. As a loud person himself, Baekhyun isn’t new to the whole staring game and when he’s paired up with his friends, well, there’s nothing they can do but be a disturbance.

 

“We could go clubbing in Hongdae,” Chanyeol proposes. “It’s a safe bet and you’re guaranteed to have fun.” Baekhyun protests, because they’re not twenty anymore, but his arguments are drown by the prospect of free birthday drinks and single ladies. In a matter of seconds, everything is decided and Baekhyun is sent on his way with the mission to bring Minseok with him at the party.

 

That’s how Baekhyun finds himself in the booth of a bar, squished between Minseok and Jonghyun, one of Jongdae’s colleagues. The air is hot, as always in a place like this, and his shirt is sticking to the skin of his back. He has a couple of beers in his system already, which means that he’s well on his way to being drunk.

 

“You’re such a lightweight,” Minseok murmurs in his ear, trading the glass of beer in front of Baekhyun for one of water. Baekhyun smiles at him. Minseok looks especially delicious tonight, with his hair a bright purple and slicked back from his face. They’re longer than they were yesterday too, framing his face beautifully.

 

“How do you keep your hair so soft?” Baekhyun asks, slurring just a little. He reaches up to stroke aforementioned hair and misses by a mile. Minseok laughs and grabs his hand, settling it down on his thigh instead.

 

“It’s my power,” Minseok reveals with a shy smile. “I can change my hair on command.”

 

“Seriously?” Baekhyun exclaims, completely oblivious to the self-consciousness etched on Minseok’s face. “This is so cool!”

 

“It’s kind of useless, really, but I’m glad you think so,” Minseok mutters, downing his beer in one go. He seems a bit upset and Baekhyun doesn’t want him to because they’re supposed to have a good time. It’s Jongdae’s birthday and he doesn’t want to ruin his big night. Making a split decision, he pushes Minseok out of the booth.

 

“Let’s go dance,” Baekhyun says, grabbing Minseok’s hand and pulling him to the dancefloor. It’s already packed with people with the lights dimmed enough for Baekhyun to be unable to recognize any faces. He knows Jongdae is in there somewhere, so are Chanyeol and his girlfriend, but he hasn’t seen them since they entered the bar, lost in the crowd. Either way, he wants Minseok all for himself.

 

Baekhyun winds his arms around Minseok’s waist, pulling him closer to his body. He rolls his hips from left to right to the beat of the music. He has had too many drinks to care about the possible consequences of his actions. Anyway, nobody is giving them any attention. After a beat, Minseok puts his hand on Baekhyun’s nape and joins him in the dance.

 

“Your friends are really nice,” Minseok says and Baekhyun has to lean in to hear his words with the music blasting around them. “They seemed… happy to meet me.” It’s the euphemism of the century. When Baekhyun arrived at the bar with Minseok in tow, Chanyeol had jumped on him, engulfing him in a bone-crushing hug. Jongdae had followed suit, stating how happy he was that Baekhyun had finally found someone.

 

“They’re basically in love with you,” Baekhyun responds with a smile. He gets closer, jamming his thigh in between Minseok’s, just shy of his crotch. “I don’t blame them, you’re especially good-looking tonight.”

 

Minseok moans as Baekhyun hitches his thigh a little higher. His grip on Baekhyun’s neck tightens as a harsh exhale of “Baekhyun” leaves his lips. Baekhyun wants to him to do it again. “We should stop, Baek, we’re in public.”

 

“Then let’s leave,” Baekhyun murmurs in his ear. He lets his hands roam down the small of Minseok’s back to his jeans-clothed ass cheeks. God, he’s been dreaming about that ass since day one and it doesn’t disappoint. It fills his hands perfectly, all hard and soft at the same time. Baekhyun can’t form a completely sentence in his head as blood drains down to his dick.

 

“We’re here for your friend’s birthday,” Minseok protests, voice tight. “Isn’t it a bit rude to leave in the middle of the party?”

 

Baekhyun shakes his head. He knows Jongdae doesn’t really care if they stay or they leave. He’s probably not giving a single ounce of attention to any of his guests anyway, to busy hunting for a nice girl to keep him warm tonight. In any case, Baekhyun cannot wait. He has wanted to get into Minseok’s pants since he met him. He knows they agreed to take things slow, to build a connection. They aren’t young little things who only think with their dicks. But now, he thinks they’re ready to go that extra step.

 

“If you don’t want me, you can tell me, you know?” Baekhyun says, because he knows Minseok wants him. The hard bulge against his thigh is proof enough. He knows this is where they have been building up to.

 

As Baekhyun expected, Minseok violently shakes his head, denying his previous word. Baekhyun smiles and, with a look around to make sure nobody is looking, quickly pecks Minseok on the lips. “Let’s get out of here.”

 

They might not be teenagers anymore, but they surely act like ones. They take a taxi back to Minseok’s apartment and can’t help but giggle the whole drive, high on love and lust and excitement. Surely the driver can see what is going to happen, mainly because Baekhyun can’t keep his hands to himself, playing with the seam of Minseok’s jeans or the hard bulge of his bicep, but he doesn’t say anything. If anything, he drives a little faster and, in the blink of an eye, they’re standing in front of Minseok’s complex.

 

“Hurry, hurry,” Baekhyun mutters against Minseok’s neck. He has both hands under his shirt, caressing the hard lines of his abs as he licks and kisses at the length of his neck. He can’t wait; his dick is pressing against the zipper of his pants, way too hard for what they’ve been doing. Minseok is fumbling with the keys and, when he finally pushes them in the lock and opens the door, Baekhyun doesn’t waste a second.

 

Baekhyun slams Minseok on the wall and kisses him. There’s nothing slow or controlled about their kiss. Their teeth clash together and there’s probably too much saliva going on but Baekhyun can’t bring himself to care, not when he has Minseok under his spell like he has dreamt of before. Minseok’s hands scramble to his hair, pushing his head back for him to run his lips down the column of his throat.

 

“God, I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” Minseok moans in Baekhyun’s collarbones, having ripped his dress shirt open. Baekhyun groans as he takes a nipple in his mouth, lightly biting the pink flesh. There’s a fire in the pit of his stomach and he needs to gain back control or he’s going to cream himself like a teenage boy.

 

Baekhyun pushes Minseok away. “Take your shirt off,” he murmurs as he lowers to his knees. At the view, Minseok audibly groans and does what he’s told. The vision of a shirtless Minseok doesn’t get old in Baekhyun’s mind. It’s still one of the most beautiful sights he has ever seen.

 

Baekhyun fumbles with the belt of Minseok’s pants but wastes no time tugging the zipper down. Soon enough, he has a face full of Minseok’s hard, thick cock. “No underwear, huh?”

 

Minseok has the decency to look a bit embarrassed. “I thought it would be easier if something was to happen.” The ending of his sentence is lost in a high-pitched moan when Baekhyun licks a fat strip from the base to the tip of his dick. Baekhyun himself has to hold back a moan at the taste. Giving head is probably the thing he loves the most in sex.

 

“Fuck, Baekhyun” Minseok mutters under his breath as Baekhyun stops playing and takes him in his mouth. Minseok’s cock isn’t long, but it’s thick and rests heavy on his tongue. He starts slow, tonguing at the tip, lapping at the beads of precum gathering there. Minseok’s hands tangle in his hair, trying to push him further down. Baekhyun obliges, taking a little bit more of dick in his mouth.

 

Minseok is, unsurprisingly, a silent lover. He moans and groans and huffs but doesn’t say anything. His body, however, speaks for itself. His thighs tremble when Baekhyun takes him whole in his mouth, nose nestled in his pubes. His stomach flutters when he pulls off, slightly dragging his teeth down the vein. The grip he has on Baekhyun’s hair tightens when he caresses the slit with his tongue.

 

“Bed,” Minseok croaks when Baekhyun comes back up for air. His jaw aches and his knees crack but Baekhyun can’t wipe the smile off of his face when he nods. Minseok trips on his pants that are still wrapped around his ankles and it makes Baekhyun laugh. “There’s nothing funny!” Minseok whines.

 

“Come on, boyfriend, I’m not done with you yet,” Baekhyun says over his shoulders. He lets his shirt fall on the floor, exposing his broad shoulders. In a second, he has Minseok pressed against him, hot breath on his nape as warm hands travel down his chest to his shapely hips.

 

They stumble in the bedroom and into bed with a lot of giggles. With Minseok naked on top of him, strong legs on either side of his hips, Baekhyun struggles to get rid of his skin-tight pants. Minseok takes the matter in his own hands. He pops open the button and drags the zipper down with his teeth. “Oh my god,” Baekhyun moans at the sight.

 

Once Baekhyun’s naked too, hard cock curled towards his stomach, Minseok settles down on his lap, his own dick just shy of Baekhyun’s. “I want you in me,” Minseok murmurs as he leans down to kiss his boyfriend. Baekhyun moans in the kiss, hands dropping to his hips.

 

“Yes, god, yes, Minseok,” Baekhyun says. Minseok moves away from him to grab lube and a condom from his bedside drawer and Baekhyun doesn’t let the opportunity to slap that shapely ass pass him by. He laughs when Minseok glares at him.

 

“Stop that and do your job,” Minseok tells him as he flips them around. Baekhyun swallows audibly as hise gaze travels down the expense of Minseok’s body. It’s unreal how beautiful he is.

 

Baekhyun gently spreads Minseok’s legs apart, pushing his thighs to his chest. Like this, he has an unobstructed view of his pink hole. He stares, and he knows he’s staring, but he can’t do anything about it. Minseok, bend in two and open for him like this, is almost too much for Baekhyun to take.

 

The lube is cold when Baekhyun coats his fingers with it and he takes an extra minute to warm it up before pressing one to Minseok’s asshole. The sharp intake of breath his boyfriend takes makes him rub comforting circles on the soft skin of his hip. “You’re good, Minseok, you’re doing good,” he murmurs as he slowly works his finger in and out. Minseok is warm and wet and so, so tight it’s maddening.

 

With patience and care, Baekhyun manages to push his entire finger inside. Minseok sighs, sound full of pleasure. “I’m going to add another one,” Baekhyun warns Minseok, which earns him a slap. “Stop treating me like I’m made of glass, Baek. I won’t break.”

 

The second finger goes in much easier, because Minseok is relaxed and at ease. To add to his pleasure, Baekhyun uses his other hand to lightly stroke his boyfriend’s hard cock. The shout of pleasure escaping Minseok’s mouth is ecstatic at best and the sound goes straight to Baekhyun’s neglected dick. From there, Baekhyun quickly upgrades to three fingers, fueled by the lust in Minseok’s eyes and the arousal thrumming through his veins.

 

“Baek, I need you, I need you,” Minseok begs, legs trembling. Baekhyun nods, quickly removing his fingers. He fumbles with the condom’s wrapper, fingers slippery from all the lube he used to make sure he wasn’t inadvertently hurting Minseok. Finally, it’s Minseok who rolls the condom on Baekhyun’s cock, the touch enough to set him on fire but not enough to extinguish the flames.

 

“Ride me,” Baekhyun murmurs, softly coaxing Minseok’s legs down. Minseok nods franticly. Baekhyun likes the weight of Minseok’s body on his lap, how his strong thighs squeeze his hips as he slowly starts sitting on his dick. The heat and the tightness is almost too much for Baekhyun to take at first and he worries he’s going to do something embarrassing like come too soon.

 

“Fuck, you’re so good,” Baekhyun moans, grip bruising on Minseok’s knees. Minseok has to stop his movement more often than not, to get used to the burn of the penetration and Baekhyun takes it upon himself to make it better. He strokes his cock, mouths at his collarbones. He takes one nipple in his mouth, tonguing it until it’s bright red and erected. He does the same for the other one, distracting Minseok from the pain until he sits down on his lap, Baekhyun’s cock completely nestled in his hole.

 

“Oh fuck,” Baekhyun groans, throwing his head back. It’s been so long since he has slept with someone, let alone like this, that he almost forgot how good it feels. Minseok doesn’t seem to fare any better, hair sticking to his forehead with sweat, eyes fully blown with lust. He undulates his hips and the movement nudges Baekhyun’s dick a little further inside him. Baekhyun’s eyes roll to the back of his head from the pleasure.

 

The pace picks up gradually, from Minseok’s body waves to Baekhyun jackhammering his hips up the bed, driving his cock in Minseok’s hole with authority. Minseok has long since fallen on him, face hidden in the crook of his neck where he sucks hickeys into Baekhyun’s skin. Moans and groans leave his lips, pleads of “faster, Baek, faster” meshing together in an incoherent string of syllables. Baekhyun obeys, always, moving with urgency even when his calves start burning with the effort. He can’t stop, not when he’s feeling so good.

 

Minseok’s orgasm surprises them both with how unexpected it hits him. Baekhyun changes the angle of his trust, canting his hips a little higher and the head of his cock hits Minseok’s prostate dead on. It rips a cry out of Minseok’s throat, literally tugs the orgasm out of him. His warm cum splatters on Baekhyun’s stomach.

 

Baekhyun is still hard and desperate inside of him but he uses all of his self-control to still his hips. He doesn’t want to push Minseok into hyper-stimulation and accidently hurt him. In any case, the fluttering of his asshole around Baekhyun’s cock is almost enough stimulation to make him come in turn. He lets Minseok catch his breath, willing his erection at bay for now.

 

“Come, Baekhyun,” Minseok murmurs in his ear, breath still harsh. He purposely tightens around Baekhyun’s cock and that’s all it takes. Baekhyun’s vision turns white, blinding pleasure coursing through his body. His senses are overloaded by Minseok: his scent, his taste, his presence everywhere around him. He’s not sure if he screamed but Minseok swallows all sounds with his mouth, kissing him with a tenderness that contrast a lot with the passion transpiring through their previous movements.

 

Minseok falls besides him on the bed, still trying to catch his breath. Baekhyun takes off the condom, ties it and throws it towards the garbage can before rolling on his side and hugging Minseok, searching his lips. Minseok chuckles but complies and a kiss turns into a lazy make-out session that lulls Baekhyun to sleep.

 

“Minseok, I love you,” Baekhyun whispers, head pillowed by Minseok’s chest, his boyfriend’s fingers running through his hair. Minseok kisses his crown.

 

Baekhyun is sweaty and disgusting, cum drying on his chest, but he’s too comfortable in Minseok’s embrace, nestled between the sheets. He doesn’t want to move and Minseok doesn’t show any indication that he wants to neither. They stay where they are, whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears until they fall asleep, hearts full of love and minds bursting with happiness.

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike what Baekhyun had believed when he first met her, Minah actually comes to Seoul quite often for her work as a freelance illustrator. She commutes from Guri a couple of times a month, but never stays for long. She hates the city with a burning passion, even if Baekhyun thinks that it fits her pretty well, all bright lights and fast pace. Her hatred explains why Minah never stays long enough to plan a dinner with her brother, which leads to her always whining that she never sees him.

 

“Minseok thinks that you like me more than him,” Baekhyun informs her as they settle on a table for two at her favorite Italian restaurant. She comes here every time she’s in the city because she claims there’s no Italian restaurant in Guri. Baekhyun doesn’t believe her.  
  
“He would be right,” Minah laughs. Baekhyun smiles and shakes his head. “He’s a boring old man but you, you’re fun! I might even consider moving to the city only to be able to see you more.”

 

They laugh, probably a bit too loudly for the place, but neither of them seems to care. The waitress comes quickly to take their order and Minah, like the womanizer she is, can’t help but flirt with her. Baekhyun watches, hypnotized, as Minah coaxes her into giving her her number.

 

“You’re impossible,” Baekhyun chastises her once the waitress is gone, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “How did you even know she would be interested?”

 

“I didn’t,” Minah shrugs with a smile. “I find her cute so I just took a chance. She seemed like the type to like small boobs.”

 

Baekhyun’s eyes drop to her cleavage, almost nonexistent today. It’s her power, he discovered pretty quickly. One would think that it’s useless, but Minah always manages to find uses for everything. Charming girls is one of them.

 

“You know, this is why I’ve been single for years,” Baekhyun says with what he hopes is nonchalance. “I would never be able to go up to someone like that and ask them out. I would be way too scared of their reaction.”

 

Minah hums and takes a bite of her garlic bread. “Well, I guess it’s harder for guys to ask other guys out. You know, they tend to overreact and cause a scene. _No homo_ and all that jazz.”

 

Baekhyun laughs despite himself. “That’s when they don’t take a swing at your face.”

 

Minah nods empathically. “Honestly, ever since I came out, I decided to always speak my mind and ask a girl out when I’m interested. I’ve never had a bad experience. Straight girls are flattered and gay girls get in my bed. Simple as that.”

 

Baekhyun opens his mouth to respond but the waitress’s arrival cuts him short. Her face is still a little bit red and she avoids looking into Minah’s eyes. It’s funny to see, even if he knows that’s probably what he looked like at the gym in the beginning of his relationship with Minseok. Their meals arrive and they dig in.

 

“You know, it’s weird, because I’ve always only been attracted to girls, but I would sleep with you in a heartbeat,” Minah says suddenly, causing Baekhyun to choke on his bite of lasagna. He coughs, reaching for his glass of water.

 

“T-thank you, I suppose?” Baekhyun croaks once he has his breathing under control again. He doesn’t know where this thought comes from. They were discussing the latest episode of this drama they’re both following. How does wanting to sleep with him ties with it is a mystery in itself.

 

Minah frowns, clearly deep in thought. She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m serious, Baekhyun. I’ve had this feeling about you since Minseok brought you to my apartment. It’s like I can’t help but wanting to be with you, to know you and to, at least, be friends with you.”

 

Her words aren’t new to Baekhyun. In fact, he’s heard them a million times before. From as long as he can remember, people have always expressed how comfortable they feel around him, how nice he is and how they wish to be his friend. It’s been like that in school, where he was one of the most popular kids. It’s been like that at his part-time job during high school, where all the little old ladies fought to check-out at his cash. Baekhyun always attributed their reactions to his friendly personality, his wit and his good looks. Minah’s words are making him reconsider, because they are instances he cannot explain.

 

There’s Minah herself, who hates the city so much she can’t even convince herself to stay long enough to see her _brother_ but would to grab a bite with _Baekhyun_. There’s the shy girl from the gym. She doesn’t talk to anyone. Hell, she has trouble looking at people in the eye when they ask if she’s done with her machine. But she smiled and laughed at Baekhyun that first day. She interacted with him, even going as far as asking him out.

 

There’s the kids at his school. Jinah who sought him out when she discovered her power. She was panicking, not understanding a thing that was happening to her, but she trusted him. Baekhyun had explained her reaction by the fact that he is her teacher. What it doesn’t explain is how quickly she got over her fear when he told her to. How she, the most curious and noisiest little girl he knows, drank his words like they were law.

 

There’s also Haneul, who has a serious illness and is surrounded by the best specialists in town but cannot calm down unless Baekhyun takes him in his arms. The boy is aggressive towards everyone when in a crisis, even his own parents, but he has never showed any truculence towards him.

 

There’s Jongdae, who’s a big shot in the entertainment industry, with award-winning OST songs, but still hangs out with a simple elementary teacher like him. There’s Chanyeol, who has enough money to buy a condo in Gangnam but still stays with him in the same shitty apartment they’ve had since university, who sticks with him even if he’s annoying and doesn’t know how to cook.

 

It hurts Baekhyun to think about it, but there’s even Minseok. Minseok is a personal trainer, but still offered to help Baekhyun work out for free, out of his business hours. Minseok admitted to being shy and hesitating in front of his crushes, but asked Baekhyun out on a coffee date. Minseok is a serious and quiet person, who has his life together and enjoys the little things and Baekhyun couldn’t be more different. Baekhyun is loud and annoying and dreams of the big picture instead of focusing on details. They are so painfully different it’s a wonder their relationship is working so well.

 

Expect it isn’t that surprising if Baekhyun’s power is attracting people. It would explain so many things he always brushed off as nothing more than a response to his nice personality. But what if his personality isn’t, in fact, that nice? What if people want him around _because_ of his power?

 

“Are you okay?” Minah asks him, pulling Baekhyun out of his own thoughts. It takes a moment for him to understand her words, mind reeling with the realisation that he knows his power now. After years of wondering, he knows. Why doesn’t it feel as good as he always imagined?

 

“Minah, I’m sorry,” Baekhyun struggles to say as he gets up. His chair screeches loudly on the floor, but the sound barely reaches his ears. It feels like he’s underwater, all his senses dulled. His plate is still half-full, it’s raining outside and he should just sit back down and finish his meal but he can’t. He has to get out of here.

 

Minah makes a move to stop him but Baekhyun is quicker. He slams some won on the table; hopefully it’s enough to cover his share of the bill. Then, he’s out of the door. In a second, Baekhyun is drenched, clothes sticking to his body, hair matted to his forehead. The rain is cold, which should help clear his head but it does nothing. All Baekhyun can think about is that all his relations are fake. Everything he has ever known is fake. He takes off.

 

Running in the streets of Seoul is way more glamourous in the dramas Baekhyun likes to watch than in real life. In real life, it involves a lot of stares and shouts, of running into people. By the time Baekhyun gets to his apartment, every part of his body hurts. He slams the door shut after him and lets himself fall against it. He slides down on the floor.

 

“Baek, you’re… hey are you okay?” Chanyeol asks as he pops out of the living room, a bowl of cereal in his hands. He drops it on top of the credenza to approach Baekhyun with free hands.

 

Baekhyun nods then shakes his head. He doesn’t know how to formulate his thoughts, how to make sense of them. Nothing feels real, not even the pain and the cold. It’s almost as if everything is happening to another him, one that is too far away to be a concern. But at the same time, in the back of his mind, he knows. It couldn’t happen to anyone but him. He’s the only human with no power; well, not anymore.

 

“Baek?” Chanyeol’s hand is warm on the freezing skin of his shoulder and it brings Baekhyun back to the present. Back to Chanyeol’s worried face peering down at him, to his drenched clothes and ruined sneakers. Back to being _attractive_.

 

“Why are you my friend?” Baekhyun murmurs, because it’s the only thing he can think about. Chanyeol is his friend, has been for the last ten years, but he never stopped and asked.

 

Chanyeol looks taken aback by the question. “Uh… because you’re funny? I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it.”

 

Baekhyun doesn’t hold that flimsy answer against Chanyeol because he understands. Why would he need a good reason to be friend with Baekhyun when _everybody_ wants to be? It’s the answer he expected, but it doesn’t stop the mortification from spreading from his heart to every little corner of his body. It pushes him to his feet, dislodging Chanyeol’s hand from his shoulder. The latter tries to stop him, but Baekhyun is unstoppable. He’s a hurricane of confusion and hurt, thoughts wayward and volatile.

 

Baekhyun doesn’t slam the door to his bedroom but the sound still echoes in his mind. He feels foolish to have so fervently wished to discover his power. Why would he have fought so hard to find something so hurtful? He’s so dumb, and pathetic, like his brother has always said. At least his brother was wrong on one point: he’ll never be alone.

 

But is being with people who don’t want you for you any better than being alone?

 

 

 

 

 

“Baekhyun, someone’s at the door for you,” Chanyeol says as he cracks the door of Baekhyun’s bedroom open. Baekhyun doesn’t bother looking up from his phone where he’s been binge-watching cooking tutorials for hours. “You should really go get it.”

 

“I don’t want to see anyone,” Baekhyun replies with a shrug. He has a good idea of who could seek him out in his own apartment and, honestly, it’s the last person Baekhyun wishes to see.

 

“Baek, I don’t know what happened, but you’ll need to talk to Minseok one day,” Chanyeol warns him from his doorway. When Baekhyun looks up, he doesn’t see any annoyance on his friend’s face. There’s a pang in his chest when he registers the emotion as sadness. “Please, just let him in. He’s been here for hours.”

 

Baekhyun sighs. He knows Chanyeol is right and that ignoring Minseok for days isn’t the solution. The problem is: he doesn’t know the right solution. His mind is telling him that there’s only one way to go and that’s to break up with Minseok. The trust he had in him, in _himself_ , is broken and without trust, what is left of a relationship? His heart is telling him another story, a story about love and acceptance. A story so beautiful that it hurts. His heart is telling the story Baekhyun wants so badly to be his, but he doesn’t have hope anymore.

 

“I’ll talk to him,” Baekhyun says finally, because his mind is made up. Chanyeol smiles at him, a smile so small for someone so resplendent. He pulls the covers away, but doesn’t find the energy in him to change and make himself look somewhat presentable.

 

“I’ll be in my room if you need anything,” Chanyeol informs him. Baekhyun nods and, when he passes by Chanyeol to get to the door, the latter takes him in his arms. It takes Baekhyun by surprise. “You’ll be fine,” Chanyeol murmurs in his ear.

 

Baekhyun doubts it, but keeps his thoughts to himself. He doesn’t want to worry his friend any more than he already has. It’s unfair to Chanyeol, but Baekhyun’s problems are his own to deal with. Baekhyun takes a deep breath, squares off his shoulders and opens the door to his apartment.

 

Minseok is as beautiful as he remembers. His hair is black and long, just like Baekhyun loves the most. It makes his heart sink in his chest. He’s so painfully in love with this boy, but he has to let him go. Minseok deserves someone who doesn’t doubt him.

 

“Oh Baekhyun, thank god you’re alright!” Minseok exclaims as soon as the door opens. He looks like he wants to take Baekhyun in his arms and kiss him, but something in Baekhyun’s expression stops him. “You weren’t responding to my texts, I was worried.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun whispers, not looking into Minseok’s eyes. He can’t, not when he knows how much pain he’s going to inflict.

 

“Did something happen? Minah told me you left your dinner so quickly and…” Minseok starts fretting.

 

“Let’s break up.”

 

Surprisingly, Baekhyun’s voice doesn’t falter when the words leave his mouth. In fact, he says it eloquently, fast, like ripping a Band-Aid off a tender wound. He doesn’t look in Minseok’s eyes, but he still sees how his face crumbles as he registers the words. There’s an empty hole in his chest where his heart is supposed to be.

 

“What?” Minseok’s voice reflects the confusion Baekhyun can see etched on his face. He looks lost, like a little kid stranded on a desert island, and Baekhyun wants nothing more than take back the words and go back to a time when he didn’t know what his power was, when he trusted Minseok with all his heart. But time machines don’t exist.

 

“Let’s stop seeing each other,” Baekhyun reaffirms. This time, however, he shakes. His hands tremble and his tone is flaky and Minseok, he thinks, can see right through him.

 

“Why? Give me one good reason why, Baek. Because I don’t see one,” Minseok says, voice hard. He crosses his arms on his chest, as if defying Baekhyun, as if ready to make him change his mind. But Baekhyun won’t budge. He can’t, because he’s prideful and foolish, stupid and self-destructive and he loves Minseok. He loves Minseok and only wants the best for him. He’s not the best.

 

“I just don’t think we’re good for each other anymore,” Baekhyun says and it’s a flimsy excuse. But he can’t say it, can’t bring himself to say what is really going on in his head. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to, because Minseok does it for him.

 

“This is bullshit and you know it. Is it because of what Minah told you? Your power? I don’t give a fuck about your power, Baekhyun. To me, you’re still the same Baekhyun I’ve learned to love. Your power doesn’t change anything.”

 

“How do you know if you love me because of me or because of my power?” Baekhyun asks in a whisper. It’s the same question he asked Chanyeol, it’s the only question that matters. It sums up his insecurities, his fears and his worries and Minseok can’t answer it. Nobody can and that’s why Baekhyun has to let him go. Because as long as he’ll think like this, it won’t work.

 

“Baekhyun…” Minseok sighs. He looks like he wants to say more, but Baekhyun can’t do this. He has nothing left to say, nothing left in him. He’s empty, completely depleted. It’s over.

 

“I’m sorry, Minseok.” Baekhyun closes the door. From the other side, he can hear a sigh and a choked sob, before footsteps take Minseok away from him. It breaks a dam in him and the river flows. It starts small, like all of Baekhyun’s outbursts. A lone tear runs down his cheek, followed by another one, and another one. Then, the sobs come, choked at first then loud.

 

Baekhyun barely hears a door opening and closing and then, he’s pulled in a strong chest. Chanyeol stays silent and for that, Baekhyun is grateful. There’s nothing to say, because he knows Chanyeol wasn’t working in his bedroom. He was listening to Minseok’s and his every word. Baekhyun burrows his face in the crook of Chanyeol’s neck and lets go. He cries, for Minseok, for himself. He cries the loss of his simple life, the pain of his broken heart, the mean words Baekbeom uttered to him a million years ago. He cries all the tears he always swallowed down and promised to never let go.

 

Baekhyun cries until he’s so weak he can’t get to his feet and back to bed. It’s Chanyeol who takes him in his arms and tucks him in, bunching the blanket under his chin and stroking his hair. Baekhyun wants to thank him, smile and say how grateful he is, but he doesn’t. Either way, Chanyeol seems to understand.

 

“It’s going to be okay, Baek,” Chanyeol whispers in his hair as he leans down to kiss his forehead and Baekhyun desperately wants to believe him.

 

But tonight, hope seems to avoid him.

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun allows himself one day of wallowing. He throws himself a pity party which consists of shooing Chanyeol out of the apartment and binge-watching Naruto in his underwear with pints of mint chocolate ice cream. It doesn't really help filling the void he feels in his heart, not like it seems to do in all the american romance films his past boyfriends used to make him watch. It does, however, give him enough strength to go shower and sleep early to be in shape for work in the morning.

 

Honestly, Baekhyun thinks he is faring pretty well for someone who just got his heart broken. He greets his kids with a big smile and doesn't let his sadness transpire in his teaching. He's still actively engaging his students, asking questions and encouraging them to do the same. Baekhyun will agree that he might not be as energetic as usual, but it's nothing he can't blame on fatigue. When half the day passes without remarks about his condition, Baekhyun allows himself a little pat on the back for his acting skills. Maybe he should've pursued a drama degree instead of a music one.

 

If Baekhyun can fool his students, it doesn't mean that he can fool his friends. Chanyeol has been there since the beginning and obviously knows what's going on. He must've talked to Jongdae about it because the singer hasn't stopped calling and leaving text messages on Baekhyun's phone. Baekhyun has ignored them all, but he knows it won't discourage his friend.

 

The thought makes him sigh. Baekhyun isn't looking forward to going back home, moment that is closer and closer as the kids get picked up by their parents. There are only two little boys seated on the stairs of the elementary school, twins whose dad is always late no matter what Baekhyun does to make him understand that picking his boys up is important. He hasn't given up yet but even he must admit that he's getting fed up of the dad's attitude.

 

"What's with the long face?" Seulgi asks. She's standing next to him, back leaning on the brick wall of the school. She's already done with her day, all her parents being reasonable and responsible parents that care for their children, and is waiting for her husband to come pick her up. "You seemed out of it all day."

 

Her comment makes him sigh again. Baekhyun doesn't know why he thought that being able to hide his sadness to children would equate being able to do the same to adults. "I just had a rough weekend," Baekhyun settles to say. He can see that Seulgi doesn't believe him but she fortunately doesn't push the subject.

 

A beat-up Hyundai turns the corner, coming to a stop with screeching tires right in front of the stairs. The two little boys cheer as they recognize their father's car. They hurry to grab their school bags, wishing Baekhyun a goodnight before jumping into the car. Baekhyun would usually follow them and remind their dad about the elementary school's schedule but he doesn't have the energy to fight him. Tomorrow, he tells himself.

 

The car isn't even out of the parking lot that Seulgi is fervently opening her purse and grabbing a pack of cigarettes. She lights one up, offering one to Baekhyun who declines, before taking a drag. She lets out a sigh of relief as the nicotine hits her lungs.

 

"That bad, huh?" Baekhyun chuckles slightly.

 

Seulgi flashes him a quick smile, nodding her head. "Honestly, this class has to be the hardest I've had in my career. You don't understand, because you have all your students eating in your palm but..."

 

"I don't get why people always say that," Baekhyun cuts her, a brewing anger seeping into his voice. Seulgi looks at him sharply, surprised by his tone, and Baekhyun wants to take back his words. Instead, for an unexplained reason, he continues on. "It's not because I have an easier time with my kids that I don't have problems or that I don't find it hard."

 

"I didn't imply that!" Seulgi exclaims, getting agitated. "I'm just saying that you can't understand how I feel because everyone loves you!"

 

Time stands still, Seulgi's words echoing in Baekhyun's skull. "It's you that doesn't understand," he murmurs, throat tight with unreleased tears. "There's nothing fun in being loved by everyone, Seulgi, nothing."

 

Baekhyun refuses to look up from his feet. He can feel Seulgi's eyes on him, can almost taste the questions she has on his tongue. Questions like "are you okay?" or "is there something you want to talk about?" that Baekhyun really doesn't want to answer now. His silence must speak volumes because the words that leave Seulgi's lips aren't anything like he imagined.

 

"I have no idea what's going on in your life, but I know I don't deserve to be talked to like this."

 

Baekhyun nods. Seulgi isn’t at fault for anything, only doing what most people do when their day is over: complain. She just inadvertently hit too close to home. Baekhyun opens his mouth to try and make amends, to apologize for his words, but Seulgi's husband chooses this exact moment to arrive. Seulgi doesn't even cast a glance his way as she hurries to get into the car, leaving Baekhyun alone with his regrets and a promise to himself to never lose his temper again.

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun patches things up with Seulgi fairly quickly, over a simple apology and offer to buy her a coffee the next day. However, he finds himself needing to repeat the actions often and with different people. He lashes out at Chanyeol when the latter mentions how Sooyoung misses "her favorite human being" after Baekhyun cancelled on their planned dinner and movie night. He hangs up rather rudely on Jongdae when he's recalling memories of high school and how Baekhyun had all the girls pawing over him. He even shouts at the heated-hands barista of his favorite coffee shop over a totally inoffensive comment on Baekhyun's likable personality. The self-hatred is becoming out of control, to the point where Baekhyun doesn't even recognize himself.

 

Baekhyun knows he has to do something about the situation, but he doesn't know what. The wise and logic part of his brain is telling him to talk to his friends about it, to tell them about his power and ask for advice. After all, Chanyeol and Jongdae have been there through thick and thin with him and probably know him better than he knows himself. The completely irrational part of him, the one that fuels all the insecurities, tells him that they care only because they have to. Somehow, Baekhyun is more inclined to believe the latter, keeps his mouth shut and pushes everyone away, convinced that a life of solitude is better than a life of lies.

 

It all spirals down, the insecurities eating at his confidence until there's nothing left but hatred and anger. It's all directed towards himself, yet Baekhyun can't seem to keep it inside. It exudes out of his pores, shadowing all his light and leaving him in a darkness unknown to him.

 

The straw that breaks the camel’s back comes at school, actually. Baekhyun is teaching multiplications in his usual fun way, with a game of mathematical hockey. He divides the class into two teams, asking them to choose a position between forward, defense and goalie before making them take their position on the hockey rink he created with desks and chairs. Then, he flips two playing cards and they have to multiply the numbers on them the fastest possible. If they are right, they can advance towards the opposite team's goal. If they're wrong, the other team has a chance to advance and score. It's an easy way to make his students practice their tables and, usually, Baekyun doesn't have any problems.

 

Today, Jinah, of all people, doesn't want to play. She hates maths, hates hockey too and nothing Baekhyun or the other kids can say makes her change her mind. She's throwing a tantrum, seated on the floor in the middle of the rink, and she refuses to budge.

 

"Jinah, you're no fun!" Seokjin says, arms crossed on his chest. "I don't care if you don't wanna play but don't ruin the fun for everyone else!"

 

His words find support in the class and the other children start screaming too, insulting Jinah by yelling mean names at her. Quickly, Jinah's eyes fill with tears and she scrambles to Baekhyun, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his stomach.

 

"Teacher's pet!" Joon screams at her, inciting other students to continue the name-calling.

 

"It's enough!" Baekhyun shouts, voice so loud it makes the walls of the classroom tremble. Silence falls in the classroom, all the students looking at him with something very close to fear in their eyes. "Go back to your desk and take out your mathematics manual. We're going to do boring exercises because you don't know how to behave."

 

Too afraid to do anything but obey, the children all but run to their desks. Baekhyun can hear some sniffles as they get to work and his heart drops in his stomach. He never, ever raised his voice at them; he can't believe he lost it like that. Baekhyun sits at his desk and drops his head in his trembling hands. There are tears in his eyes and he feels so disappointed in himself that he can't even summon the energy to conceal them.

 

"Mr. Byun?" It's Jinah, her voice soft and hesitant and, when Baekhyun looks up, he sees that she's standing right in front of his desk, all of his students behind her. When she sees his tears, she gasps and rushes to climb on his lap and hug him. "It's okay, Mr. Byun, don't cry!"

 

Her reaction seems to trigger something and suddenly, Baekhyun finds himself buried under all his students' bodies. They're all trying to tell him not to worry, not to cry, that they're not angry at him. They talk all over each other and Baekhyun can't understand a thing they are saying but it still manages to ease his heart a little bit. He lays there for a while, letting them hug him with the innocence characteristic of children.

 

"Okay, come on guys, let me go," Baekhyun urges them after a couple of minutes. He discretely wipes the remaining of tears from the corner of his eyes before facing them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."

 

They all start talking at the same time again, voices meshing together in a melting pot of words. Jinah suddenly raises her hand and everybody falls silent under her urging. Baekhyun lets out a small smile at that. He always knew she would be a good leader.

 

"Mr. Byun, we're not angry and we don't want you to cry," she says with a serious expression on her face. "We know you're not happy recently and we want to know why."

 

There's a chorus of "yes, that's right!" fusing from all corners of the room and it warms Baekhyun's heart. "It's nothing of your concerns, even if I appreciate you being worried for me," he tries to reassure them but they're not having it. The protests grow louder until Baekhyun shushes them down with an easy smile.

 

"Mr. Byun," Seokjin tells him "you always told us that all problems can be solve by talking it out." All the little heads of his students nod at their classmate's words. "So whatever is bothering you, you should talk about it. Okay?"

 

Baekhyun takes in all the hopeful faces looking up at him with smiles and wide eyes. Something in his chest fills up with pride, at seeing them assimilating his lessons well enough to spit them back at him as an advice. It eases a pain Baekhyun didn't know he had, a fear of being completely disposable without his power. It eases it because they didn't learn this because of his power, they learned this because something he's doing is working, because he is, somehow, a good teacher.

 

"I will, I promise," Baekhyun says softly, earning cheers and applause. It makes him laugh. "Now, who wants to play some mathematics hockey?"

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun's promise to his students has been hanging over his head for more than a week when the occasion to keep his word presents itself. In fact, the occasion doesn't exactly present itself to Baekhyun, it is forced upon him. He comes home after an exhausting day at the elementary school to Jongdae seated on his couch, nursing a beer and flipping through the channels. Chanyeol is nowhere to be found, his favorite sneakers missing from the hallway and Baekhyun, not for the first time, regrets having given Jongdae a key.

 

"What the hell are you doing here?" Baekhyun asks over his shoulders. He toes his shoes off, lets his bag fall on the ground beside the door. It's full of assignments he needs to grade but all his motivation flew right out the window at the sight of his friend. Either way, he doesn't think Jongdae will let him work in peace, probably here to pester the hell out of him until he cracks and reveals everything.

 

"Can't I just come and make sure my friend's alright?" Jongdae shouts from the living room. Baekhyun shakes his head but doesn't deign him a response. He goes straight to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. He hears the TV being shut off and some footsteps before Jongdae leans on the kitchen's doorway, arms crossed on his chest.

 

"Okay, fine, you got me," Jongdae says. "I'm worried about you, Baek. You've been distant for a while now and Chanyeol told me you broke up with Minseok. What's going on?"

 

Baekhyun sighs. He's tempted to just brush off Jongdae's concern and tell him a white lie, but the promise is still weighting heavily on his conscience. There's also a big part of him that is tired of being miserable. He misses Minseok, with all of his heart. He misses his smiles and his warmth, the softness of his skin and the roughness of his fingers. He misses going to the gym on Wednesdays, misses looking down at his phone to see a pointless text from his hot boyfriend.

 

Baekhyun never realized how Minseok inserted himself in every part of his life before he was gone. Now, there's nothing he can do that doesn't bring up memories of Minseok. When he sits down to play League, he thinks of that one time when Minseok wouldn't stop texting him, just to prevent him from spending all day on his computer. There's not one restaurant in the neighborhood Baekhyun can go to without having old ladies asking him where his "handsome friend" is. Every single aspect of his life is tainted by Minseok's presence, and now Minseok's absence, and Baekhyun can't do this anymore. He needs to remedy to the situation.

 

"People like me," Baekhyun says, voice denuded of any emotion. "That's my power, that people can't help but want to be close to me, to like me."

 

He doesn't have to add more for Jongdae to connect the dots and come up with his own conclusions. Baekhyun doesn't even worry about what those conclusions will be; he knows Jongdae will be right. Jongdae is insightful and knows how Baekhyun's mind works. The only thing Baekhyun is afraid of is the judgment his friends will put him under. Jongdae's power is both useful and stupid and plays a minor role in his life. Who in his life would care that he can control his boner? Baekhyun's power, on the other end, is at the epicenter of his life. It dictates all of his interactions, all his actions. There is no way Jongdae would understand the consequences of this discovery.

 

"Baek," Jongdae sighs and it only confirms all of Baekhyun's assumptions. He pulls his hand away from Jongdae's grasp (he didn't even realize they were holding hands in the first place) and puts as much distance between them as allows his tiny kitchen. He's getting irrationally angry again, the irritation brewing with all the repressed feelings in his stomach and growing in a monster he can barely contain.

 

"You don't get it!" Baekhyun stresses, voice slashing like a whip in the silence of the apartment. "How can I know that he loves me for real with this in the equation? How can I know you love me for real? What if everything is a lie? What if I'm a terrible person in the end but people won't tell me because they can't see how horrible I really am?"

 

Baekhyun pants, heart thundering in his chest so loud that it's the only thing he can hear. He can faintly feel his whole body shaking, but he can't name the feeling behind those tremors. It's the base of the problem, the insecurity of all insecurities, the past demons that always reach to the surface no matter how deep they've been buried. 

 

It has been Baekhyun's fear since as long as he can remember, that people don't actually like him. He had always been the lively child, the life of the party, the social butterfly. He had prided himself in being friends with everyone, from all the kids in his elementary school classes to the ahjummas at the fish market. It had always been the only thing he excelled in, the only aspect of life he was better in than his brother.

 

Baekhyun always found solace in his ability to make people love him. He found affection and acceptance in other places than his home, learned how to act to be appreciated. It had been easy and it's something that helped Baekhyun build up his confidence, that chased most of his demons away. He always told himself that it didn't matter if his family liked him or not as long as he had friends.

 

Now, even the foundations of his confidence are shaken to the core.

 

"The only thing that makes you an horrible person is the fact that you're doubting us," Jongdae states, words harsh but voice soft, empathetic.

 

"But how can I not? How can I know for sure that my personality or my looks or my... i don't know, is the reason why you want to be friends with me?" Baekhyun's voice is climbing up the scale at a rapid pace, quickly going into hysterics. "I can't! It's impossible. I can't turn it on or off, it just happens!"

 

Jongdae clasps his hands on Baekhyun's shoulders, grip strong enough to infuse a sense of reality in the latter, a calm he would've never obtained alone. "Baek, your power is part of your personality. It's not an added bonus, it's a part of you. Perhaps it might contribute to my feelings for you, just like every other part of your personality."

 

Baekhyun shakes his head. "No, Dae, you don't understand..."

 

"It's you that don't understand!" Jongdae cuts him off. His grip on Baekhyun's shoulders tightens to the point of hurting. "You're letting your insecurities and all the fucked up things your brother told you get into your head. Your power doesn't change a single thing about how I feel for you!"

 

"Of course it doesn't!" Baekhyun screams, losing his temper once and for all. "It's the single goddamn reason you're still here in this apartment trying to talk to me instead of slamming the door on me!"

 

Jongdae groans in rage and lets Baekhyun go, pushing him away with force. Baekhyun's back hits the refrigerator and makes all the magnets fall on the floor.

 

"Fuck you, Byun Baekhyun," Jongdae says and Baekhyun has the time to catch the glimmer of tears in his eyes before he turns around and, just like Baekhyun said, disappears out of the doorway. The door closes with a loud sound that resonates in the emptiness of the apartment.

 

Slowly, Baekhyun lets himself glide down the refrigerator until he hits the floor. The first sob that leaves his mouth is quiet, lips trembling under the effort to keep it controlled. The ones that follow, though, are anything but subdued. The only thing they don't cover are the voices in his head, voices similar to his own that remind him of how disgusting his behavior is. Baekhyun came into this conversation with the intention to come clean to Jongdae and find solutions to his problem. Instead, he only gained new regrets and shards of broken heart cutting his insides open.

 

Baekhyun rolls in a ball, tucking his knees under his chin. He wants to call Jongdae and apologize, tell him that he doesn't mean any of the words he screamed at him but it would be a lie. He knows it, Jongdae knows it and it wouldn't do anything good. Still, the urge to call is overwhelming. He doesn't want Jongdae to be mad at him. Baekhyun doesn't want anyone to be mad at him, but it's like he can't remember how to be a human being with basic decency. He grabs his cellphone only to notice that he has a new message. It's Jongdae telling him not to bother contacting him until he stops being delusional. The words trigger a new wave of tears.

 

Baekhyun doesn't know how many hours he spends on the floor of the kitchen, crying his heart out. The only thing he knows it's that it's night out, the apartment plunged into darkness. It's Chanyeol weekly night at Sooyoung's apartment, which means that Baekhyun has the apartment for himself. It's usually his favorite night of the week, because he can lounge around naked and watch porn without earphones, but tonight, he wishes he wasn't alone. He feels stretched thin between his revealed insecurities and the pounding headache resulted from his tears. The only thing he needs right now is for someone to hold him and tell him he's not worthless.

 

But there's no one and Baekhyun falls asleep alone, curled up in his bed, wishing, not for the first time, that he could've been born as someone else.

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning, Baekhyun does something he has never done in the years he spent as a teacher: he calls in sick. He doesn't even have to fake a sore throat with how parched his voice sounds after the hours he spent crying the previous night. The school director accepts his request (not that he doubted she would, Mrs Lee is a nice and fair boss) wishing him a speedy recovery. Baekhyun assures her that he will be back tomorrow and she begs him to take more time to heal if he feels weak.

 

Once that's done, Baekhyun squares himself up and gets to work. The first thing on his checklist is to take a shower. His face is swollen and his eyes are bloodshot. There's snot on his shirt and maybe in his hair too. Baekhyun feels disgusting but it's nothing a hot shower won't be able to fix.

 

Baekhyun takes his time, lets the hot water massage his tense muscles. His neck has a crick from sleeping all curled up and his shoulders ache for an unexplained reason. He stays in the shower until the water starts to run cold. When he steps out, Baekhyun feels refreshed and somewhat ready to take on the rest of his day. At least, he's as ready as someone with a broken heart and a broken friendship can be.

 

The second step of his get-better plan is to clean his bedroom. Baekhyun considers himself a tidy person, makes it a must to thoroughly clean his room at least once a month. He's sensitive to smell and can't live in a messy environment. However, he has been slacking off in the recent months, too caught up with Minseok. Baekhyun washes his floor and windows, throws a wash load in the washer and moves his furniture around. He doesn't really believe in fen shui and all that stuff but it's worth the try.

 

The morning is steadily blending in the afternoon by the time Baekhyun is done. He emerges from his bedroom with hands redden by all the chemical products he used to clean and back aching from pushing all the furniture but also with a sense of accomplishment. He beelines to the kitchen where he drinks half a water bottle in one go.

 

"You're done demolishing your room now?" Chanyeol asks from the doorway.

 

Baekhyun jumps a feet in the air, spilling the remaining of the water right on his white shirt. "God, Chanyeol! Don't scare me like that!" Baekhyun clutches his heart and spins around. Chanyeol is wearing yesterday's clothes and his hair is a mess. "I can see you had a good night."

 

Chanyeol smirks and pops open the first buttons of his dressed shirt. "You bet I did," he leers the usual way he does when he got lucky. Baekhyun rolls his eyes and bumps his shoulder with his friend's as the latter comes to take a look at what's inside the refrigerator. "Have you had lunch yet? Sooyoung gave me leftovers from yesterday's dinner we can heat up."

 

Baekhyun is already salivating at the idea of eating Sooyoung's food. The girl is an incredible cook, even better than Chanyeol which Baekhyun didn't think possible. "Haven't eaten anything since yesterday," Baekhyun answers truthfully. By now, he knows it's not worth it to lie to Chanyeol; the guy always finds out the truth in the end.

 

As expected, the look Chanyeol throws his way is disappointed at best. Baekhyun shrugs with a sheepish smile and takes a seat at their kitchen island. He knows Chanyeol will throw a fit if he's in the way, even if the only thing Chanyeol is doing is reheating the meals in the microwave. He waits for Chanyeol to talk, because there's no way he doesn't already know what went down yesterday. Jongdae must've texted him right after leaving the apartment.

 

Surprisingly, it takes Chanyeol until they've mostly eaten all of Sooyoung's amazing chicken curry before he breaches the subject. "Word's out you had an eventful night yesterday."

 

Baekhyun sighs. "Tell me what you want to say, Yeol," he says dejectedly. "You want to tell me I'm stupid and overacting too? I've heard it all already." He pushes the cucumber pieces around his plate with his chopsticks as an excuse not to look in Chanyeol's direction. He doesn't want to see the judgement in his eyes.

 

"I don't know what made you that way, Baek, but you seriously need to stop thinking we're all here to antagonize you." There's more than disappointment in Chanyeol's voice; there's an underlying layer of anger too. It's what makes Baekhyun look up, because he can't have a repeat of what happened yesterday with Jongdae. He can't lose Chanyeol too.

 

"You're right, I'm sorry," Baekhyun apologizes. Automatically, Chanyeol deflates, stance going from borderline aggressive to relaxed. It makes Baekhyun's heart settle in his chest. "I just..."

 

"Baek, I know what you're thinking and I'll tell you why it's all kinds of wrong," Chanyeol cuts him off, reaching to grab Baekhyun's plate. He turns around and starts slowly filling the sink to do the dishes, gesturing for Baekhyun to do the same. The latter grabs a dish cloth and gets to work. Doing something appeases his mind and he doesn't feel as anxious anymore. Baekhyun suspects that it's exactly why Chanyeol decided to do this and for that, he's grateful.

 

"Do you remember that time in middle school when you hid my pet ferret and lost him?" Chanyeol asks randomly, conscientiously washing up the pot Baekhyun used to cook ramen three days ago.

 

Baekhyun smiles at the memory. "You stayed angry at me for months! You wouldn't look at me even if our lockers were side by side." It took Baekhyun close to a hundred apology letters to get Chanyeol to talk to him again. It had been the longest months of Baekhyun's life, waiting for his friend to come around and forgive him.

 

"And do you remember that Kyungsoo guy in your performance class?" Chanyeol continues on. He has a small, sly smirk on his lips, but Baekhyun is too caught up going down the memory lane to notice. "You spent all semester complaining about him."

 

"I swear that guy hated me to the core," Baekhyun grumbles with a pout. "I literally never did anything wrong to him. It's not my fault that I can't stay still during class, okay? I have a lot of energy and there's nothing wrong with that."

 

"And Mrs. Cho from downstairs..."

 

Baekhyun scoffs, angrily grabbing a mug to dry. Just thinking about Mrs. Cho makes his skin crawl. "She hasn't forgiven me yet for that one time I forgot the garbage can on her balcony and she woke up to raccoon trying to open her kitchen's window. It was a one time thing! How stubborn can she be?"

 

Baekhyun keeps grumbling about his neighbor, completely oblivious to Chanyeol's growing smile. He only takes notice when his hand doesn't meet any new dish left drying in the rack for him to towel. Baekhyun looks up to see that the sink is still pretty full of soapy bubbles.

 

"Baek, what do all the people I just talked about have in common?" Chanyeol asks. His eyes have this twinkle they usually have when he's about to pull a "I'm smarter than you" move but, for once, Baekhyun doesn't feel irritated.

 

Baekhyun takes a moment to ponder on the question. "I don't know? They're all allergic to cats but still insist on rescuing all the strays they come across?"

 

Chanyeol rolls his eyes and playfully bumps him on the shoulder. "You know damn well Mrs. Cho isn't allergic to cats. She has like fifty of them in her apartment."

 

Baekhyun shudders. "Don't remind me. Just walking by her place gives me the chills. She's probably going to get eaten by her cats when she dies and we'll never find the body. It's going to make the news and all. Maybe your sister will come interview us about her."

 

They both burst out laughing. Chanyeol has resumed washing and Baekhyun, drying and, for a little moment, they let the hilarity settle down to a comfortable silence. Baekhyun's heart feels light in his chest, his mind completely off of his worries. He'll have to thank Chanyeol later, for knowing him so well and offering him the opportunity to change the air.

 

"What we have in common, me, Mrs. Cho, Kyungsoo, even Jongdae right now, is that we've all been mad at you," Chanyeol says suddenly. "Some, like me, didn't stay angry very long. Others, like Mrs. Cho, are still angry. And some, like Kyungsoo, never really warmed up to you."

 

Baekhyun hums, waiting for more. He's not really sure where Chanyeol is going with his words and, when he points it out, he only gets a shake of the head and a fond smile in return. "Baek, if your power made the people around you completely powerless against their likeness for you like you claim it does, doesn't it mean nobody could dislike you? Even for a moment in time?"

 

Time stands still as Baekhyun completely freezes. The plate he was drying is dripping down the side of his arm and on the floor, but he can't care about it right now. All of his brain is focused on only one thing: Chanyeol's words. Chanyeol's words of truth.

 

Because Chanyeol is right, totally and completely one hundred percent right. In his panic, Baekhyun had deleted all memories of people not liking him. He had been so focused on people liking him, on people being hooked on his power that he forgot that some people never showed any kindness towards him. Now that Chanyeol has woken up those memories, it's like Baekhyun can't think about anything else.

 

More people are added to the list: his math teacher in high school, some straight guy he tried to hit on in a club last year, his brother. It's so clear in insight, the conclusion black on a white sheet of paper, so clear that Baekhyun gasps and drops the plate he was holding. It shatters in pieces on the floor, one of them flying away to cut his ankle but he can't barely feel the pain with how fast his mind is reeling. He's reliving all the moments when people weren't excited to see him, weren't happy with him. When once this kind of memory trip would have crushed his confidence, today it only helps rebuild it.

 

"Some people hate me," Baekhyun breathes out in awe. He doesn't notice how Chanyeol starts panicking at the sight of blood running down his foot to stain his white sock. "Some people don't like me and probably never will."

 

"Baek, I think we need to treat this," Chanyeol says, pointing to his bleeding ankle. Baekhyun doesn't react to his words, not until Chanyeol takes the matter into his own hands and physically shakes him out of his stupor. "Let's go to the bathroom and treat this okay?"

 

Baekhyun nods and they carefully exit the kitchen, avoiding the shards of ceramic. The wound isn't deep, fortunately, and it only takes a plaster to stop the bleeding. It's Chanyeol who does most of the work, Baekhyun still lost in a dreamy daze, mind preoccupied by all the newest revelations. Once he's done, though, Baekhyun can't help but jump in his arms.

 

"Thank you, thank you, you're right, I'm a dumbass, but thank you," Baekhyun says, stumbling over his words with excitement. If people can hate him, it means that his power isn't an all-mighty force that pushes them to like him. It might influence them, give them the incentive to like him, but it's not a black or white type of situation. There is room for his personality to shine, for his actions to speak.

 

"You're not dumb," Chanyeol murmurs in his hair, voice soft and fond. "It's okay to doubt yourself, especially in this case. I told you I'd always be there to bring you back to earth, didn't I?"

 

Baekhyun nods, head tucked under Chanyeol's chin. "Some people hate me, Yeol! Isn't that amazing?"

 

His words make Chanyeol laugh. "Most people would argue that it's not but, in your case, yes, Baek, it's quite amazing. Now, let's go clean your mess."

 

Baekhyun grumbles, not too keen on washing dishes and sweeping now that he's not a living crisis anymore, but complies, if only to thank Chanyeol. He really doesn't know what he would do without his friend and promises himself to take him out for dinner sometime soon, to properly thank him.

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun gets around to treating Chanyeol to dinner the week after their big talk and even goes as far as inviting Sooyoung and Jongdae. He made up with the latter pretty quickly, over texts nonetheless. It turned out that Jongdae wasn't really angry with him to begin with, only irritated.

 

"I really couldn't take it anymore and I thought something more drastic would maybe trigger another kind of reaction from you," Jongdae told him when Baekhyun asked why he stormed out like a mad man.

 

Things slowly go back to the way they were before after that. Baekhyun, strong of his newly re-established confidence, doesn't walk around slouching like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He gets his spark back, quickly regaining his positive outlook on the world and spreading his positivism around him. His students welcome the change with open hearts and Baekhyun looks forward to his days at school again.

 

The only thing that doesn't change is his longing for Minseok. It isn't as sharp as it has been the first week after their break up. It doesn't wake him up in the middle of night, choking him with a loneliness so deep it makes his heart shake. It doesn't stop him from going about his day, laughing and having fun with his friends. It doesn't keep the sun from shining and the birds from chipping outside his window. Life goes on and Baekhyun is doing fairly well, if he must say so himself.

 

This time around, the longing is insidious. It lays low most of the time, a dull pain that Baekhyun can easily brush off by doing stuff like playing League or doing grocery shopping. Then, he sees a couple walking hand in hand on the streets and his mind brings him back to what he had, what he let go, and the longing transforms in pain. When that happens, there's nothing he can do except wait for the moment to pass, for his memories of Minseok to slowly fade to the background again. It's a tedious life, but it's something Baekhyun is ready to go through.

 

"I don't understand why you won't just call him," Jongdae whines from his place on Chanyeol's and Baekhyun's couch. He's been here so often in the last few weeks that Baekhyun wonders why he hasn't moved in with them already. "You obviously miss him and I bet he misses you too."

 

Baekhyun wishes it was so simple, wishes he could just go back to Minseok like nothing happened. Reality isn't that easy, though. There's no way Minseok will take him back, not after the stunt Baekhyun put him through. He hasn't shown an ounce of trust in Minseok's words or Minseok's actions, blindly believing that his power was the only reason his boyfriend was interested in him. It's abject, to subject the person you love to that kind of treatment. In no alternate universe Minseok would settle down for someone who can't trust him like he deserves, can't love him like he needs. Baekhyun has killed his own chances right when they were starting to blossom and he has to live with that fact.

 

It's that fear of rejection that keeps Baekhyun from contacting Minseok. But sometimes, in the early hours of the morning, when sleep eludes him, Baekhyun finds his finger hovering over the call button of Minseok's number. He hasn't deleted it yet, can't find the strength to do it. He knows he should, especially since he already took the decision to never contact him again, but something keeps him from going through with it. Maybe it's the crazy thought that he'll one day grow a pair and have enough courage to face his fear.

 

Life does go on, though, and Baekhyun suddenly finds himself swarmed over by work. The end of the school year is just around the corner and between special tutoring sessions, grading and organizing year-end activities, he doesn't find the time to be miserable anymore. He scarcely finds the time to eat and sleep a normal amount of hours each night. The sacrifices are all worth it when Baekhyun stands in the school yard, watching his little monsters run around with report cards filled of good grades. He bows to the parents that come his way, accepting their thanks with a blinding smile. The year-end ceremony might be one of his preferred day because he gets to see the impact he had on his students, how he got them from point A to point B. It's gratifying.

 

"Mr. Byun!" Jinah screams, running towards him at great speed. She dodges the groups of parents catching up with each other, sprints between kids playing tag and leaps over puddles left over from the earlier shower. Baekhyun crouches down as she approaches and she all but jumps into his arms. "My mom told me she'll buy me the dress I wanted because I got the best grades in the class!"

 

Baekhyun chuckles, coaxing her back on the ground. "That's great, Jinah! I'm happy for you."

 

Jinah nods, a serious expression on her face. She crosses her little arms on her chest, staring at Baekhyun with a frown. "Now, you have to be happy too, Mr. Byun! And for that, you need to talk to your friend."

 

Baekhyun blinks, confused at the direction the conversation is heading. "My friend? But I'm talking to my friends, Jinah. I don't really understand what you're trying to say..."

 

"Your new friend, Mr. Byun! The one you made during the year that made you really, really happy." Jinah taps her foot on the ground impatiently, irritated that her teacher doesn't understand. "Don't think I didn't notice, Mr. Byun, because you're not exactly subtle. You suddenly got super, duper happy and cancelled all of our exams. It was really great."

 

Baekhyun lets out a laugh of disbelief. Was he really that obvious? He doesn't remember acting extremely different when he was with Minseok and he certainly doesn't remember cancelling some examinations. He's pretty sure the board would've had his head if he did something like that.

 

"Mr. Byun, I know you had a special friend because I get all happy too when I'm with my best friend," Jinah says, voice softer and lower, almost like she's sharing a secret. "And I get moody and I scream at my parents when I get in a conflict with her. But it's like you always say, Mr. Byun, talking resolves everything. So you need to talk to your friend, alright? Because I only want you to be as happy as you make me."

 

For a moment, Baekhyun is speechless. He always knew that Jinah was smart - hell, she didn't end being the top student of his class for nothing - but he never thought she would be that socially smart. If anything, he is touched beyond words that she cares for him that much. He knows that his students love him, because of his power sure, but also because he takes the time to get to know them personally. He cares for them in a way most teachers don't and he knows his students appreciate it. But for Jinah to go out of her way to think about his problems and help him find solutions to them, Baekhyun is touched enough that prickles of tears tease his eyes. He blinks them away.

 

"I am happy," Baekhyun tells Jinah with a reassuring smile. "You don't need to worry about me, okay?"

 

Jinah puffs her cheeks and shakes her head. "You would be happier, though, so you have no choice but talk to your friend. I will know if you don't and I'll be really mad, okay?"

 

Baekhyun chuckles, getting up to his feet. Her words aren't anything new to him. Jongdae and Chanyeol have spent the better part of the last few weeks trying everything they know to convince him to talk to Minseok. Baekhyun knows they all say this with his well-being in mind, knows that the only thing they want is for him to be happy. He just wishes they would understand why he can't go back to Minseok. They all act like he's being the dumb one for refusing to talk to him, but it's because they weren't there when they broke up. They haven't seen the heartbreak in Minseok's eyes, the pain of the betrayal Baekhyun forced upon him. There are things that cannot be fixed and the broken trust between them is one of them.

 

There's no way Baekhyun can explain that to Jinah, though, so he smiles and brushes a stray lock out of her face. "I will, Jinah, and I'll let you know how it went. How's that?"

 

Jinah smiles and nods, an accomplished expression on her face. They converse for a little bit more, Jinah doing most of the talking as she explains with great details what she's planning to do during her vacation. It doesn't take too long for her parents to come collect her and she leaves with a reminder of Baekhyun's promise. Baekhyun reassures her time and time again that he will stay true to his words, even if he doesn't really have any intention of keeping his promise. He's pretty sure she won't remember any of this conversation when classes start again next year anyway.

 

Even if Jinah won't remember, it doesn't mean that Baekhyun can forget. For the rest of the afternoon, Baekhyun's mind is elsewhere. He greets his students and their parents, exchange pleasantries and advice kindly, but it all feels automatic. He can't totally focus on what he's doing, not when Jinah's words woke up a part of himself he thought he buried.

 

It's her comment on how deserving he is of happiness that really strikes a chord deep in him. Baekhyun isn't totally sure when he started thinking of himself as undeserving of all the good things. He worked so hard to build himself up after everything that went down with his lack of power and his brother's comments. Brick by brick he demolished the castle of self-hatred circumstances had erected around him, only to build it back up again. Baekhyun can't believe he let it all happen. He is stronger than this, stronger than the voices in his head telling him he's not good enough. His recent trip back down the self-doubt lane doesn't have to change anything to that.

 

 

 

 

 

Vacation time, to Baekhyun, means spending all morning sleeping and the rest of the day binge-watching all the reality shows he missed during the school year. He makes a little secret-not-so-secret stash of fish sausages on the living room table and gets up from the couch only to heat up ramyeon cups in the microwave and pee. He keeps the pace going for close to a week before Chanyeol gets fed up.

 

"You need to go outside and do something!" he exclaims one night when he comes home from the studio to Baekhyun surrounded by empty bags of chips. "This is getting totally ridiculous."

 

"Well, hello to you too," Baekhyun mumbles around a mouthful of cheesy sticks. "I'm glad to see you had a great day." He reaches inside one of the bags only to find it empty. Frowning, Baekhyun looks around but doesn't spot any unopened ones. He whines at the realization that he needs to get up and go get more snacks from the kitchen.

 

"Did you even move from the couch today?" Chanyeol asks. He's putting the grocery he picked in the kitchen's pantry. Baekhyun gets up, his joints protesting against the sudden movement. Crumbs fall from his lap to the floor in cascade and the couch's pillows are sunken in from his weight. Baekhyun thinks those are evidences enough that he didn't move.

 

The bright light of the sun coming through the open windows of the kitchen burns his eyes as he enters the room. Baekhyun moans, covering his eyes with one hand as he stumbles to the island's stools. He gingerly props himself up on one of them.

 

"Seriously, Baek, you really need to start doing things other than watch TV all day," Chanyeol says. He's not looking at Baekhyun, busy putting away the fresh vegetables he bought, probably in prevision of tonight's meal. "I honestly thought you were getting better at coping with the break up but..."

 

"This has nothing to do with the break up," Baekhyun protests vividly. It's not like he doesn't want to go out because he's afraid he's going to run into Minseok. The gym his ex works at is close to Baekhyun's apartment, but it doesn't mean anything. He could totally go out around the neighborhood with no fear. He just really likes to watch dramas all day until he forgets what the sun looks like.

 

Chanyeol doesn't look convinced at all. Baekhyun has half a mind to go and defend himself but he knows it would only make him look more suspicious, which isn't something he can afford right now. If Chanyeol is on his case, it means that Jongdae is well on his way to suggest stupid ideas to get him out of the house, ideas that, Baekhyun is sure, will only bring him embarrassment and shame. He better lay low and get the target off of his back, for now at least.

 

"Seriously, you'll lose all the progress you made at the gym at the rhythm you're going," Chanyeol says at last. While Baekhyun appreciates the change of direction in the conversation, he isn't that accepting of the words pronounced.

 

"Are you insinuating that I'm gaining weight?" Baekhyun shrieks in offense.

 

"Well, insinuating means that I was being subtle about it," Chanyeol retorts with a laugh. Baekhyun lets out a scoff of disbelief, jumping to his feet to hit Chanyeol on the back of the head. His aggression quickly turns into a play-fight Baekhyun easily wins. He gets Chanyeol in a choke-hold in less than five minutes, holding it until Chanyeol taps out. The latter struggles to regulate his breathing until Baekhyun hands him a water bottle.

 

"So much for gaining weight, huh?" Baekhyun brags, flexing his arm muscles. He knows that he doesn't have a lot of merit in winning against Chanyeol because his friend is weak. Chanyeol spends most of his time in his studio mixing and writing music and the only physical exercise he does is play pool. Baekhyun would've been surprised if he had lost the fight.

 

"Look," Chanyeol says seriously once he's gotten his breathing under control, "the only thing I'm asking is for you to take care of yourself. You're letting yourself go and it's not healthy. I'm not saying to go back to that gym if you don't want to but, at least, find another one? Exercising really did help reduce your stress."

 

Chanyeol is, obviously, right. Even if he discards the whole Minseok situation, exercising regularly really did wonders for Baekhyun. Not only it did help him build a confidence in his body he never had before, it also made him considerably happier. Baekhyun doesn't want to admit it, especially not out loud, but he's getting bored. The first few days were fine and he didn't really mind doing nothing, but the itch to just do something is starting to make itself known. Maybe hitting the gym is a good idea.

 

Baekhyun starts researching on nearby gyms almost immediately. There are a lot, since health is somewhat in recently, but most of them are way too expensive for what they offer. 250 000₩ per month is excessive and there's no way Baekhyun will ever put that much money in a gym that doesn't offer any special benefit like a pool or a massage room. Quickly, the list dwindles down to some shady gym in the basement of a rundown building a couple of blocks away from Baekhyun's apartment and his usual gym, the one where Minseok works.

 

"Honest to god, Baek, this place looks like it’s coming straight out of a horror movie," Chanyeol says when Baekhyun shows him and Jongdae the pictures on his phone. Baekhyun has to agree with him on that one, it does look scary. But the inscription fee is cheap and there's no way he'll run into Minseok there.

 

"Or you could just stop being a whiny child and go to your gym again," Jongdae proposes, rolling his eyes at Baekhyun's vehement shake of the head. "You know Minseok's schedule by heart. You just have to go when you know he won't be there."

 

It’s a good idea. He does know when Minseok works, unless he changed his schedule since they broke up. Baekhyun doubts it though: Minseok is a creature of habits and wouldn't change his ways for something so trivial as a break up. At least, he doesn't think so, mainly because Minseok knows how petty he can be and probably expected him to stop showing up at the gym. The more Baekhyun thinks about it, the less flaws he sees in this plan. It's also reassuring that he doesn't have to spend any more money on gym subscriptions, it leaves him more funds to upgrade his characters on League.

 

"You can be pretty bright sometimes, Dae," Baekhyun says, earning himself a punch in the shoulder and a loud whine from his friend. His comment sets off a wave of banter between him and his friends that quickly develops in a full-on teasing fest. It leaves Baekhyun feeling light, like a weight he didn't know was on his shoulders has been lifted off.

 

And as they head out of the apartment to grab a bite at the little Thai place around the corner, Baekhyun finds himself looking forward to his next trip at the gym.

 

 

 

 

 

Baekhyun has missed this. He has missed the calm atmosphere of the gym, with everyone focused on their own exercises. He has missed the pungent odor of sweat-soaked mats. He has even missed the girl who used to train beside him on the treadmill, even if all she ever did was laugh at him. Baekhyun would never admit it, but Chanyeol was right. Exercising and having some sort of routine outside of his shift at the school really did help him out, not only physically but also mentally. Coming back to the gym oddly feels like a step in the direction of healing.

 

Baekhyun almost forgets that this is Minseok's workplace and that their path could cross at every moment. Granted, Baekhyun made sure to come early in the morning, well before the classes Minseok teaches start. He knows that Minseok doesn't like training before his classes; the chances that he's going to be here are slim, slim enough for Baekhyun to feel safe.

 

The treadmill is the first exercise he goes to, warming up his muscles the exact way Minseok taught him to. A couple of weeks ago, just the thought of Minseok would've been enough to send Baekhyun in a whirlwind of longing and loneliness. Today, it only makes a wistful smile bloom on his lips. The wound in his heart is healing, slowly but surely.

 

Baekhyun moves to weight lifting once he feels his legs turning into jelly. It's been a long time and his muscles are stiff in the beginning. He starts with his usual weight, which turns out to be way too heavy. He's glad that the gym is mostly empty at his hour of the day, because switching to a lighter dumbbell is kind of embarrassing. He does it, though, because hurting himself isn't in his priorities right now.

 

Baekhyun is at his third set of thirty repetitions when he catches a figure from the corner of his eyes. The guy is at the bench press station, lifting and dropping a heavy looking barbell. His muscles are glistening in the harsh light of the gym, covered in sweat. He finishes his set, locking the barbell on its support before seating up to grab his water bottle. He brushes a hand through his bubble gum pink hair, pushing it away from his face and Baekhyun stalls. Bubble gum pink hair?

 

The realization hits Baekhyun like a ton of bricks, so hard in fact that he drops his dumbbell straight on his foot. He hollers out, clutching his foot with both hands. The pain is overwhelming and, for a split second, Baekhyun is persuaded that it's broken and that shards of shattered bones are cutting in his flesh and muscles, causing irremediable damage.

 

"Oh my god, are you okay?" says a voice that Baekhyun didn't think he would hear ever again, a voice Baekhyun has spent weeks avoiding. Baekhyun looks up from his injured foot to see Minseok peering down at him, worry swimming in his eyes. He looks as good as he ever did, with his beautiful pink hair and fair skin. Baekhyun's heart skips a beat, all the feeling he has worked so hard to bury coming back up to the surface.

 

Baekhyun's voice is gone, stolen right out of his throat. He's hurting and should probably inform Minseok about it so he can do something but he can't. Baekhyun has missed him so much and having him here, with him, feels like a dream come true. A dream that always, in his head, felt like a nightmare, but that is, in reality, nothing short of happiness. Baekhyun can't believe he has been stupid enough to think that he would go on with his life without ever seeing Minseok again, without talking to him, without breathing the same air as him. He doesn't need him, doesn't need anyone but himself to survive, but it doesn't mean that he should be alone. The sheer amount of happiness that he's feeling just seeing Minseok tells him something he has always known: Baekhyun is in love with Minseok. And love, at the end of the day, is what makes the world go round.

 

"Baekhyun, let me see your foot. I have to make sure it's not broken," Minseok tries to coax him into action. It doesn't help clear the fog in Baekhyun's head, doesn't bring him back to a tangible reality. It does, however, make him slack his hold on his foot enough for Minseok to untie his shoe and peel off his sock. Baekhyun peers down to assess the damage. His foot is red, understandably so, but there's no spot of black or blue.

 

Minseok takes the foot in his hands, lightly applying pressure on some key spots. It hurts, but it's a dull pain that Baekhyun has no trouble withstanding, until he reaches the joint linking his big toe to his foot. There, the pain is white hot and Baekhyun can't hold back a shout.

 

"I'm sorry," Minseok says, crouching to take a closer look. He puts a little more pressure on different side of the joint, trying and succeeding in moving the toe a couple of times. The pain is intense, but the movement means that it isn't broken, which reassure Baekhyun greatly.

 

"I think you're going to be okay," Minseok finally declares after a little while, seating back on his heels. "Let's just ice it to tone down the swelling and you might want to not put too much weight on your foot for a little while."

 

Baekhyun nods, still speechless. Minseok has touched him, Minseok has talked to him like nothing has happened, like Baekhyun didn't step and spit on everything that Minseok has ever said to him, like Baekhyun didn't break his trust and toss him out at the first doubt he had. It doesn't make any sense, to Baekhyun at least, and it leaves him unable to know what he should do. The part of himself that is at the origin of this mess tells him to give up, but he doesn't want to listen to it anymore. Letting the self-doubt leading his life only brought Baekhyun misery and sadness, nothing he wants to feel anymore.

 

It's that thought that makes Baekhyun take a leap of faith. He grabs Minseok's wrist as the latter gets back on his feet. He pulls hard enough for Minseok to fall back on his heels in front of him, pink hair flying in his face from the harshness of the movement. Minseok opens his mouth but Baekhyun beats him to it, pouring out the things he should've said months ago. "Minseok, I'm sorry. I fucked up so bad and..."

 

"Yeah, that you did," Minseok interrupts, voice like a sharpened sword stabbing Baekhyun straight in the heart. He has never heard Minseok sound so upset. It makes Baekhyun realize that he never could've expected the extent of hurt he brought upon his ex-boyfriend. "I thought you had more faith in me, Baek and I really didn't expect that kind of reaction from you."

 

Baekhyun sighs. "It's not that I didn't have faith in you, I just... freaked out."

 

"You threw me away like a dirty shoe, that's what you did," Minseok states, voice leaving no place for discord. "You didn't give me the opportunity to be there for you. Do you have any idea of how I felt? I felt stupid, for giving you so much of myself while you didn't trust me enough to lean on me in dire times."

 

Baekhyun drops his head down. He knows that's how his actions came across, even if it isn't how he intended them. Minseok is still mad at him, three months after their break-up and Baekhyun sees his chances to make up with him melt under the sun. Still, he needs to try, needs to put himself out there. There are two outcomes possible. Minseok will either forgive him or he won't. Either way, he needs to try or he'll regret it forever.

 

"It's not that I didn't trust you. I didn't trust anyone! Try to put yourself in my shoes," Baekhyun pleads. "I was under the impression that my power was telling you to love me and..."

 

"And you didn't stop for a second to consider that it didn't make sense?" There's an edge in Minseok's voice, anger mixing with sadness. It's an explosive cocktail, one that threatens to let this conversation slide to a more dangerous and emotive territory. The last thing Baekhyun wants to do is upset Minseok even further, so much in fact that he considers, for a instant, backing down. But he can't do that. He taught Jinah and all his kids to believe that you can solve any situation by talking it out. It's time he lives up to his words.

 

"I wasn't in the right state of mind," Baekhyun explains. "I know it's not an excuse, but that's what happened. I never intended to hurt you so much, never intended for things to get so messy. I just wanted to know my power and feel like I was normal for once. Instead, I just ruined everything."

 

Baekhyun lets go of Minseok's wrist. He has no right to keep him here with him against his will. Minseok looks done with him, like nothing he'll ever say will make things okay between them. "I know it took time, for me to come around and get back to you."

 

"You didn't, not really at least," Minseok corrects him. "If Jongdae didn't tell me you were coming this morning, I wouldn't have been here and your plan to work out without me ever knowing would've worked."

 

Baekhyun winces. "I was scared, I'm still scared. I'm seating here with a possible broken foot and I'm scared shitless because I don't know what to do with you. I miss you, Minseok. I've been missing you everyday since I pushed you out of my life but I don't feel like I deserve it. Deserve you. Not after how badly I hurt you."

 

In the end, that's how Baekhyun's hesitation towards Minseok can be resumed. He's in peace with his power and its implications, in peace with the fact that people might be more inclined to love him but won't necessarily. He mended his relationships with his friends and his students, managed to apologize and be forgiven by everyone. But with Minseok, it's different. Baekhyun cannot see how Minseok would want to forgive him, not when he knows that Minseok values trust over every other component of a friendship. The fear of rejection is paralyzing him and it takes all of his strength to be here, waiting to get his heart broken again.

 

Baekhyun is surprised by a hand latching on his knee and squeezing softly. He looks up to see that Minseok has taken a comfortable seat on the ground in front of him. The anger has vanished from his eyes, letting way for empathy to take its place. Baekhyun doesn't want the hope that blossoms in his chest, because being hopeful only brings more pain once the reality settles in.

 

"Baekhyun, I'm sorry, too," Minseok says at last, shocking Baekhyun into speechlessness. "I should've tried to understand you and fight for you the way your friends did. I should've..."

 

"No!" Baekhyun exclaims loudly, voice echoing in the gym. It attracts the attention of a few people working out but Baekhyun can't bring himself to care, not when Minseok is sitting there and blaming himself for Baekhyun's mistakes. He opens his mouth to continue his protest but Minseok shushes him.

 

"Please, just hear me out," Minseok pleads and Baekhyun can't help but nod in acceptance. "I know you've been doing a lot of thinking and working on yourself. I have, too. I won't lie to you, Baek. After what happened, I was angry and I wanted nothing to do with you. Everything you said, I thought them."

 

Baekhyun lets his gaze drop down to his knee, where Minseok's hand is still positioned. "But then, I started missing you. Going to the gym became painful because it only reminded me of you. I tried forgetting you, throwing away all my memories or tainting them with reminiscence of that night where you broke my heart, but nothing was working. So I started thinking. Would it be possible for me to forgive you? To go up to you and ask for a second chance?"

 

Baekhyun has his breath stuck in his throat. He can't really believe this is happening. He has spent months convincing himself that he lost his chance with Minseok, that there was no way they would ever get back together. He buried all his hopes deep inside of him, only letting them live in his daydream fantasies where the world is perfect and his power hasn't destroyed everything he has ever built in his life. Now, not only are those fantasies becoming reality, but they're coming from Minseok himself. Baekhyun is starting to think that he didn't only hit his foot with the dumbbell but his head too.

 

"That's when I started to see my faults in this whole ordeal. I know," Minseok raises a hand to stop Baekhyun from protesting again. "I know that you don't think I've had any role in this but I did. I should've known that it was the shock talking and not you. That you trusted me, just didn't trust yourself. Don't think I'm not thinking that you weren't insensitive and acting like a jerk though."

 

The comment pushes a laugh out of Baekhyun. It's breathless and not even close to be full-blown like his laughs usually are, but it's a start. For the first time since this conversation started, Baekhyun doesn't feel like there's a sword of Damocles hanging over his head, waiting to crush all of his dreams and send him back in a bottomless pit of despair. There's hope, in Minseok's words, and it's travelling slowly but surely to his heart, melting away the icy barriers Baekhyun didn't even know he erected. He's starting to think that it might be possible.

 

"I just feel like I should've been there for you during the most difficult time of your life, even if you were hellbent on pushing me away," Minseok finishes with a sad smile.

 

Baekhyun looks down at him. The harsh light of the gym washes out his complexion, hides the little freckles that dot the bridge of his nose. He's beautiful, with his chubby cheeks and crooked teeth, with his changing hair and hard body. His eyes are looking up at Baekhyun, filled with fondness and wishful dreams, and Baekhyun is in love with this man. He loves him, with all of his heart, and he would be foolish to turn him down, when Minseok has been the one getting hurt but also the one wanting him back.

 

"I don't deserve you," Baekhyun murmurs and it's his turn to coax Minseok into silence. "I really don't and we both know it, but I'm willing to do everything it takes to make myself worthy of you. I learned to understand my power, and I know now that you weren't with me because of it. You were with me because..."

 

"Because I love you, Baekhyun," Minseok finishes for him. There's a faint blush tainting his cheeks and he’s biting the inside of his mouth, almost like he's shy of admitting it. It's cute, probably the cutest thing Minseok has done since Baekhyun knows him and god, is that boy cute. "I don't think I've ever told you, but I'm in love with you, with or without power."

 

Baekhyun doesn't even realize he's crying until Minseok gets up on his knees to wipe the tears away with his thumb. He's just so happy that he's practically vibrating, body too small to contain it all. He thanks Minseok repetitively until the words merge together and become intelligible. Minseok shushes him, coming up to sit on Baekhyun's lap and cradle his head in his arms.

 

"I'm sorry," Baekhyun tells him once he has calmed down enough to form a coherent sentence without tripping over his words. There's snot on Minseok's shirt and he probably looks like a crushed tomato, but Baekhyun can't bring himself to care. Minseok forgave him, wants to be with him. All of his dreams came true. "I just... I love you and I'll forever be sorry."

 

Minseok shakes his head, his hair caressing the side of Baekhyun's face. "You don't have to, I thought we just settled this." There's no animosity in Minseok's voice, only fond exasperation. It's something that Baekhyun is willing to take every day just to make sure that Minseok knows how sorry he is. "But if you're so determine, I know how you can make it up to me."

 

Baekhyun perks up at that, sitting straighter on the bench. Minseok smiles and points at his lips with intent. Baekhyun laughs and leans in, sealing his lips over Minseok's mouth. Kissing him feels like coming home, like healing. He still tastes the same, the minty fresh bite of his toothpaste. Baekhyun loops his arms around Minseok's waist and pulls him higher on his lap, pushing their chests together. They kiss for what feels like hours but probably isn't more than a couple of minutes before Minseok pushes Baekhyun away.

 

"We should stop," Minseok tells him, breaths coming out harsh and caressing Baehkyun's face in rapid succession. "I mean, it's still my workplace."

 

The comment has Baekhyun blushing from head to toe. Quickly, he looks around, almost snapping his neck in his haste to see if any of Minseok's coworkers has seen them. Minseok laughs and grasps Baekhyun's chin between his fingers, forcing him to look at him. "We're too early for anyone to be here yet but it's a bit awkward. Imagine if we were to make out at your workplace."

 

Baekhyun makes a face. "There's no way I would let you jam your tongue in my mouth in front of the kids! Think about their little innocent eyes."

 

Minseok rolls his eyes. He gets to his feet, lending a hand for Baekhyun to do the same. It doesn't hurt him too much to put weight on his foot, another sign that it isn't broken. He still uses his injury as an excuse to lean on Minseok more than necessary. Minseok looks like he can see right through his scheme, but he doesn't say anything, only tightens his grip on Baekhyun's waist when he stumbles.

 

Minseok helps him get dressed in his street clothes, even going as far as calling a taxi for Baekhyun since he doesn't think he'll be able to get back home alone. They wait for it on the bench in front of the gym, a safe distance between them, but their hands brushing against each other.

 

"Make sure to elevate your foot and ice it every hour to keep the swelling down," Minseok reminds Baekhyun once they see the taxi turning the corner of the street.

 

Baekhyun nods, biting his lips. The taxi pulls up in front of them without giving any of them the time to place another word. Minseok helps Baekhyun sit down in the backseat, propping his gym bag on the other side of the car.

 

"You know," Baekhyun says as Minseok is closing the door, "I think I might need someone to come later and see if everything is okay with my foot."

 

Minseok laughs, shaking his head. "I guess I don't have any other choice."

 

Baekhyun smiles and he hopes that Minseok can read the love he feels on his face. He's so full of it that Baekhyun almost can’t believe it's possible to feel so much at the same time, let alone for one person. The taxi starts moving, getting him further and further away from Minseok but it doesn't bother Baekhyun. Minseok is coming home later, where they'll cuddle on the couch and be so gross and lovey-dovey that Chanyeol and Jongdae will regret pulling a stunt like that on him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If someone were to ask, Baekhyun would say that he lives a pretty normal life. He teaches in an elementary school and lives with his best friend in the same apartment they've had since college. He goes out every weekend, eats too much take-out and hits the gym once or twice a week. He doesn't call his mother often enough, does the laundry only when he runs out of clean underwear. His power is useful, albeit mostly undetected. Baekhyun doesn't really know if he can control it or not, or what he can control about it, but it doesn't bother him. After spending years trying to find what it is, he realized that it doesn't really matter. Life goes on and, with or without power, he's still the same old Baekhyun. He's loud and annoying, maybe even a bit stupid, but it doesn't stop the best person in the whole world to love him.

 

And, when he leans down to kiss Minseok, cock softening inside his incredibly hot boyfriend, Baekhyun can't help but think that a pretty normal life is a damn good life, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Kudos and comments are loved! Have a wonderful day!! 
> 
> Also follow me on Twitter @baekhan_juseyo


End file.
